Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement regarding measures being taken to curb fake currency and black money in India has sent the entire country into a frenzy. While the move is being welcomed by people at large, it’s hard to ignore the amount of chaos it has created.
A classic case of the chaos following the change in currency notes was reported at a Kolkata-based private hospital where a patient reportedly settled a bill worth Rs 40,000 in coins (that’s right).
According to a report by the Times of India, BP Poddar and Research Centre in New Alipore told the relatives of a 35-year-old dengue patient, Sukanta Chhaule, to arrange Rs 40,000 for his discharge. Neither one in the family had denominations other than Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. The hospital authorities not only turned down the repeated requests of the family to accept the old currency notes but also refused to accept a cheque.
The relatives then send messages over WhatsApp to friends and family for help and by 3AM they were flooded with coins worth Rs 40,000.
The stunned hospital authorities initially refused to accept the coin. However, when the family threatened to lodge a police complaint, the reluctant authorities accepted the coins.
It took six staff members three hours to count the coins, following which Sukanta was discharged at 3pm.
