Demonetisation hits payment of allowances to thousands in Tripura

Agartala: The disbursement of monthly allowances to thousands of poor people has been disrupted in Tripura after the demonetisation of high value currency notes, a minister said here on Wednesday.
“Tripura government has been providing 27 different categories of monthly social allowances to thousands of people and families. Due to demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, disbursement of monthly allowances has become tough due to either non-availability or shortage of notes of various denominations,” Tripura Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha told IANS.
He said: “Of the 27 allowances, one monthly allowance is for the otherwise abled above 80-years-old people who can not come to bank or ATM booths. That’s why officials of social welfare department went to their houses to give the monthly allowance of Rs 600 to 3,200 beneficiaries.”
The minister said that due to non-availability of sufficient Rs 500 and Rs 100 notes, the social welfare department could disburse the monthly allowance to only 1,700 out of 3,200 differently abled aged people in Nov.
“Our officials requested the bank officials to provide currency notes with denomination of Rs 100 and Rs 500, but the bank authorities expressed their helplessness,” Saha added.
Sharply criticising PM Modi and his government, he said that due to severe shortage of currency notes of smaller denominations, trade, business and economy has been badly affected across the country.
“Without creating adequate infrastructure and availability of different types of transaction and business cards, demonetisation of high value currency notes was a shortsighted decision and it affected the majority of the people,” he stated.
“Those who have no transaction and business cards, who are illiterate and are blind or physically not fit, how will they cope with the new transaction systems now being advocated by the central government,” the minister asked. (IANS)