CHENNAI: The Centre’s overnight fiat demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes may help contain black money. But one sure thing was that it poured cold water on all curries and veggies the Chennaiites love. As people stepped into the Koyambedu market, one of the biggest vegetable market complexes in Asia on Wednesday morning, they had to either limit their purchases or turn empty-handed as the shopkeepers refused to accept the denominations.
“I am not aware of the Central government’s announcement on the currency notes. As usual I stepped into the market well before dawn but was surprised to hear the sellers refusing to take Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes,” rued Murugan, who had come all the way from Porur to purchase vegetables. However, a section of the traders accepted the Rs 500 currencies realising that they would only be losing customers if they don’t. “I have to accept the notes they give, otherwise my business will get affected,” said S Vijayarangan, who runs a vegetable shop. To keep the business moving, even the wholesale traders, who supply to small traders, accepted the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations. “We haven’t faced much problem with the wholesale traders. They accepted the notes from our sellers,” M Thiagarajan, president, Koyambedu Vegetable, Fruit and Flower Sellers Welfare Association, said.