Hyderabad: Congress leaders on Friday staged protests in front of banks across the state against the shortage of currency.
The party leaders and activists raised slogans against the Central and state governments and the Reserve Bank of India.
TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who led the protests, said the currency shortage was even worse in rural areas and was adversely affecting farmers and agriculture activity in kharif season.
“Though kharif season is into its second month, banks have failed to disburse crop loans citing currency shortage. The banks failed to even disburse the amount that was credited by the government in the farmers’ bank accounts after paddy procurement, though it belongs to them,” Mr Reddy said.
He said that farmers were neither in a position to withdraw their own money or the loan amount lying in their accounts due to currency shortage.
“The Central and state governments and the RBI have failed miserably in ensuring adequate cash supplies even nine months after demonetisation was announced,” said Mr Reddy.
Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Mohd Ali Shabbir said, “Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao should exert pressure on the Centre to ensure adequate currency supply to the state instead of blindly supporting the Centre on all issues.”
He said that though farmers are struggling for cash to purchase seeds and fertilisers, there has been no response from the government. “The CM failed to convene even a single meeting with officials to address this issue,” Mr Shabbir Ali said.
