As chaos continued on day two of note exchange post the sudden currency ban initiated on the midnight of Nov 8, the government has decided to extend the dates for use of old (now defunct) Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes to pay public utility bills such as water, electricity etc.
The government had earlier announced on Nov 10 that the old notes can still be used to pay public utility bills and taxes till the midnight of Nov 11.
Banks reopened yesterday after being closed on Nov 9, and huge crowds gathered outside banks to exchange their old currency notes for new ones. The chaos continued today, even as ATMs opened with restocked cash after being shut for two days.
The extension comes as a relief to common man after large numbers of people queued outside ATMs throughout the day across India. Crowds also hounded banks (which are working over the weekend) after many complained about ATMs running out of cash.
Feature Image source: PTI