In Shillong city when you enter an eatery, make sure 
that you have all the coins to pay to the shopkeeper or
else you will be handed over a new type of currency ‘paper tokens’ or some chocolates with the simple explanation that there is no change.
Shopkeepers and local traders in the city have devised this ingenious method to cope with the problem which has become a headache for many people in recent times.
Shopkeepers everywhere have also made it their habit to dole out chocolates and toffees to each and every customer who happens to visit their eateries.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials, who were recently in the city on official purpose, had termed this practice as illegal but shopkeepers have not been discouraged to do away with the practice.
A resident while complaining about this unfair practice said, “I have no need for that coupon but have no option. I have to either take the coupon or else partake with the change that I have to receive back from the cashier at the eatery since he would just claim that there is no change.”
With this system, most eateries have made it a practice to ask for the exact amount from their customers otherwise they are forced to accept these tokens or sometimes toffees or other chocolates.
Owners and managers of the eateries claim that they are forced to resort to this system of offering toffees in lieu of change since there is perpetual shortage of coins in the market. Shopkeepers have also claimed that they have no option but to issue these token slips since they are always short on coins to return back to the customers.
Surprisingly, bank officials when contacted ruled out the shortage of coins in the market, saying that this was just a ploy by the traders to dupe the customers.
(By Aafaque Hussain)