PONDA: Herald reportage on the plight of Bhima Gaonkar, an elderly woman from Bethora, who lost Rs 52,000 of her savings due to demonetisation finally paid off as V B Prabu Verlekar from Miramar, in an act of generosity, donated Rs 52,500 to the poor septuagenarian.
Verlekar got information about the poor 75-year-old woman’s address from his friends in Ponda and along with deputy sarpanch Janavi Gaonkar; he visited the septuagenarian’s house and donated the above amount and some sweets. Verlekar also assured all possible help to Bhima, who thanked him for his kindness.
Meanwhile, police took possession of the demonetised notes.
It may be recalled that Bhima living all alone by herself learnt about demonetisation three years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it on November 18, 2016.
Bhima had Rs 50,000 in savings – but all in old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000. Although she has sons who are married and settled elsewhere, no one informed her about the demonetisation till recently. Like the women of old who used to save money and gold in unusual places like the ashes behind the kitchen ‘chul’, or dig holes in the corner of their houses and cover them with cupboards etc, this septuagenarian had put her savings in her purse and hid them in steel jar and preserved them in a secret place in her house. For her daily expenses, she only used Rs 50 or Rs 100 notes.
A diabetic patient, Bhima realised that her money had turned into scrap when he went to a pharmacy to buy some medicines. Sources said the pharmacist was shocked to see Bhima presenting her an old Rs 500 note. The pharmacist was dumfounded and speechless trying to explain to her that her currency had been stopped by the government three years back. Bhima was astonished and her thoughts went back to the steel jar where her remaining savings were. She realised that all the savings she had managed to all these years had turned into useless paper.
