Anantapur: A large number of devotees from all over the world throngs Prasanthinilayam, an International spiritual centre, with Christmas on Sunday. Some of the foreign visitors and tourists, however, complained of difficulties with the authorities failing to provide priority based alternative facilities in the face of acute cash crunch at Puttaparthi in the district. The number of visitors, too, has come down this year. Devotees have traditional schedule to celebrate Christmas either at Prasanthinilayam or Goa every year.
Official records say at least 600 foreign tourists were on a visit to Puttaparthi when the demonetisation process began. Sri Satyasaibaba had devotees from all age groups. Senior citizens from other countries prefer to stay for a longer time in the ashram. Many of them purchased their own flats for their stay. Sources said more than 300 pensioners have been staying at Prasanthinilayam.
Despite 12 banks being located at Puttaparthi town, none had designed any alternative arrangements for the foreign devotees who had to stand in long queues to draw cash from their accounts. “The government should have taken steps prior to implementation. Alternative arrangements at bank counters would have been better for us,” Victor Gayastar, who runs a school for orphans at Enumulapalli Cross about 5 kms away from Prasanthinilyam, opined.
About 250 children were studying in the residential school. She said maintenance of school has become difficult following sudden demonetisation process. A banker observed the foreign tourists standing in long queues present an embarrassing situation at the banks after they were promised additional facilities. “We are giving priority during transactions while no additional counters were opened.”
Rinato and Pinne from Italy said, “We are shocked about the seizure of the huge amount of cash and gold every day.” Most of the shops including restaurants were still unable to set up point of sale machines causing difficulty for the tourists.
