Demonetisation: Scarcity of essential commodities feared in Odisha

Scarcity of essential commodities is feared in some parts of Odisha with transportation of goods badly hit by the limit on withdrawal of cash from accounts and ATMs since the Centre’s demonetisation move.

President of Ganjam District Truck Owners Association Pramod Kumar Jena said around 70 to 80 percent of trucks could not operate in the district in the post-demonetisation period as the government has fixed the withdrawal limit at Rs 24,000 a week and Rs 2,000 a day from ATMs.

It is also difficult to change a Rs 2,000 note withdrawn from the ATM, he said, adding most truck owners now prefer to stop operating their vehicles as a loaded truck requires Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 to transport goods from Visakhapatnam to Berhampur.

The money is spent on fuel charge, driver and cleaner’s salaries and other charges, Jena said. He has also informed the central officer who was here to take the opinions of people on demonetisation.

The Ganjam Chamber of Commerce vice-president V Santosh Kumar has suggested increase in the withdrawal amount. Pointing out that several ATMs run dry after a few hours, he said that ATMs they should be refilled.

Describing the farmers’ plight, a cultivator from Gajapati district said there is no ATM near his village and some villagers walked around 20 km to Paralakhemundi to withdraw cash.