Team Herald
PANJIM: All of a sudden, things that most of us do in our sleep, or not long after we get up from sleep, shop for vegetables and fish, became an early morning nightmare. Early Wednesday morning the biggest concern for the common man was purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables along with everyday grocery items as vendors across the Capital city refused to accept Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes after the government rendered the notes invalid.
The Panjim municipal market had an uneasy buzz in absence of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes, the vegetable vendors in the market preferred to opt for less supply of vegetables from the wholesale traders (Belgaum) as they could find themselves unable to undertake major transactions.
Vendors of vegetables, fruits and fish were categorically asking their customers for Rs 100 notes on every purchase — even if it was of thousand rupees. On refusal to pay Rs 100, the customers were asked to simply leave the counter.
“I picked up half the stock I normally pick up daily. Our transactions with traders are always with Rs 1000 or Rs 500 notes only as the supply runs over Rs 10,000 per day. We do not have hundred rupee notes. On top now, people are coming to us with the same notes and we can’t take it. So until now there is hardly any business,” Vithoba Gawade, a vendor said.
Vegetable, fruit and fish vendors, pharmacy shops, grocers refused to accept Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency on Wednesday.
“I brought Rs 700 fish that is king fish. The fisherwoman is not ready to accept Rs 500 note. I have only three notes of Rs 100. She told me to keep the fish and go for small fish. Fisherwomen are ready to face loss but not to accept these notes,” Domnic Carvalho, a local said.
“Bai! Tu sang ye 500 rupia hanvem khuim moddum? Konn ghena, magir hanvem kityak ghevpache?” (You tell me where will I spend this Rs 500 note when no one is accepting it. So I am also not accepting it), Marcel, a fisherwoman reacted.
Not just this, the five-day consumer shoppee exhibition (which is held in the city once in two-three months) which was supposed to kick start from Thursday, has also been called off due to this problem. The organisers claim that the stalls put here do not accept payments in card and most of the purchases are above Rs 1000. “We will come back once the situation improves. May be next week,” the organisers said.
