CHENNAI: Gone are the days when having two thousand rupees in your wallet could make you feel rich. Though the banks have started distributing notes a week back, their circulation is minimal. Even leading retail outlets, which see a good footfall through the day, refuse to tender change or accept the notes until one makes a purchase of over Rs 1,500.

“On Wednesday evening, I was refused change for Rs 2,000 when I visited the Reliance Fresh store in Augustine Nagar despite them having change for the note. The man at the counter told me that he would change the note only if I shop for `1,500 or more, which is ridiculous. This is just a means to fleece customers into spending more,” said an agitated marketing professional.
At another busy restaurant on Greams Road, visitors were declined change for the note citing the reason that they don’t have change for the same, forcing them to pay by card. Huge fruits and vegetable outlets, and local vendors are also citing difficulty in accepting the notes, as there are a fewer notes of Rs 100 denomination in circulation.


“There is a slowdown in the vegetable business with us making only 60 per cent of the sale. Last two days there has been some respite but it is still bad. I am not getting a lot of income to generate change for the Rs 2,000 note, so I don’t accept it,” L. C. Rajendran, a wholesale vegetable dealer.