Demonetisation: CPM, UDF plan protests; BJP on guard

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM will organise people’s march to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regional office here on November 17 against the Centre’s failure to provide relief to the people who are struggling to get currency notes following demonetisation decision. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the evening dharnas would be held across 14 districts on the same day to highlight the problems of the common man. He said the Centre should have allowed 500 and 1000 denomination notes till alternative arrangements are put in place.

He said the Centre’s decision had heaped miseries on the people of the state. Though the Centre had claimed that alternative measures would be taken, no such decisions are seen on the ground. Kodiyeri said people were thronging ATMs which had either gone dry or were out of order. “There are instances of people forced to take extreme step because of Centre’s mindless decision. Even patients who require emergency operations are waiting in the queue because of non availability of cash,” he said. The CPM leader said lottery sector in the state had completely paralysed. By Centre’s own admission, it would take at least four weeks for restoring normalcy.

Kodiyeri welcomed state government’s decision to extend the time for remitting electricity, water bills and educational institution fee till November 30 without fine. “Such measures will surely provide some relief to the people who suffering badly because of currency crisis,” he said. The CPM leader said nobody was against steps to check black money but putting the people in big trouble could not be justified.  While people were queuing up in front of banks and ATMs to exchange their hard earned money, the black money lobbies seem to have easy going as Centre had provided them enough facilities to safely park their ill-gotten money.