Rs 1,000, Rs 500 tremors felt

Chennai: Most people went penniless in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday even though many of them carried fat purses. Thanks to demonetisation, their currencies with Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 denomination had turned valueless overnight.

People faced severe hardships in procuring essentials like milk as shops and milk stations shooed them away for possessing Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 notes even as petrol pumps and shops at railway stations refused to accept the higher denomination notes despite the Union Government asking them to do so.

Office-goers were the worst hit as they could not get into trains, cabs and buses with the currency they had as most of the services refused to accept them.
Only tech-savvy people could manage to take a cab since they could use online transactions.

Long queues could be seen at several petrol banks since the government announced that they would accept higher denomination notes, but people returned empty-handed as most petrol pumps either refused to accept the notes or forced them to fill fuel for the entire amount.   Many who were just left with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 in their possession, could not even purchase vegetables or medicines.