Petrol pumps left with no loose currency

Amit Sharma 

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 15 

While the government has extended the use of defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes at a few emergency services, including petrol pumps, residents are forced to get their vehicles refilled with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 or higher amount only, due to the shortage of loose currency. 

Although the petrol pumps staff are accepting the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes, they are reluctant to return the loose currency to the customers following which the customers are forced to get the fuel tanks filled for more money. 

Gurpreet Singh, a Sector 19 resident, said he went to a nearby petrol pump to get his motorcycle refilled with fuel for Rs 300, but he was asked to get it refilled for Rs 500. “I had no other option but to get it refilled for Rs 500”, he added. 

Car owners are also facing similar problem at the petrol pumps across the city. 

Shobith, a resident of Sector 15, said he had three Rs 500 denomination notes and wanted to get his car refilled for Rs 1,200. However, the petrol pump staff denied him the loose currency. “I needed some loose currency following which I wanted to get it refueled for Rs 1,200”, he added. 

The staff at a majority of the petrol pumps claimed that people did’t give them loose currency following which they had to ask the customers to get their vehicles filled for either Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 or more amount so that they did’t have to return loose currency. 

One of the petrol pump staffs said they were obeying the government’s order by accepting Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes. 

The scene is more or less the same at all the petrol pumps across the city. 

Police sources said in the last few days, arguments between two-wheeler riders and petrol pump staff have been reported over the issue of loose currency.