India cash-crunch ruins NRI wedding, travel plans

Dubai - Travel agents say many may holiday elsewhere or skip it altogether

The Indian community in the UAE is mourning the demise of certain denominations of Indian rupee notes, making normal life difficult for their families back home.
Many Indian families traditionally plan their annual vacations to India on or around the start of the school holidays, which this year would begin on December 15. This year, several are keenly watching the severe cash shortage situation in India and in case the situation does not improve by the time they're ready to fly out, many families may skip their annual vacation or may prefer to holiday elsewhere, say travel agents.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, non-resident Indians living here said they are getting distress calls from families back home, telling them how even cash for normal expenses cannot be withdrawn from banks as ATMs repeatedly run out of cash due to a rush of worried customers.
NRI weddings and house construction plans are among the worst affected as workers and contractors refuse to accept old Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes that used to constitute more than 80 per cent of money in circulation. The cash shortage has affected ongoing construction work of many expatriates, whose dream projects are now stuck.
Afsal, a restaurant manager in Dubai, said: "The situation back home is more serious than what we see in the media. In my case, my mother had withdrawn a certain amount of money from the bank back home to meet the daily wage payment to nearly 20 workers who were building my house. The project is now on hold because workers refused to accept wages in old currency."
Buying construction material and paying wages is one of the most challenging issues because most of the million-strong construction workers do not have bank accounts to change their currencies. NRI weddings, extravagant as they are, are also affected as a lot of cash is splashed for wedding-related expenses. In the absence of currency notes, families planning weddings are facing a tough time.
"I just came back from India after cutting short my vacation because it is a difficult situation there. Even before buying a cup of tea or buying something from the shops, I had to check in advance whether the shop has enough change for Rs2,000 notes. I was supposed to be enjoying my vacation until next month, but I decided to cut it short and returned to Dubai because without money, it is a tough time there," said Murali Dharan, managing director of Day of Dubai.
"The next school vacation for three weeks start from December 15 and schools here will remain closed until January. NRI families are watching the situation whether they can travel to India after easing the cash shortage situation. Many are hoping that the situation will ease by that time. Otherwise, there will be a major impact on the travel scene," said Sudheesh TP, general manager of Deira Travels.
"For the New Year and National Day holidays in the UAE, some NRIs are planning short breaks, but it all depends on the situation back home," he added.
Many tourists who are visiting India are stuck with a cash shortage, according to some media reports.
"Many NRI families have cancelled their travel plans in view of the severe cash shortage in India. Even though they have money in banks, they cannot spend that because of cash withdrawal limits from the government. While some can use credit cards, those from the rural and semi urban areas cannot use plastic cards," added another travel agent.
"My daughter has to pay her pending hostel bill but she has no time to go and wait in the long cue by skipping her regular classroom sessions. The ATMs have run out of cash and even to pay bus fare for her weekend visits, she is struggling a lot. Even the fish vendors or vegetable vendors are facing severe cash shortage," said another Indian expatriate living in Dubai.
NRIs planning a vacation have many big plans but since they can withdraw only Rs4,000, they may change their plans," said Gopi K.L., an Indian social worker in the UAE.
"I was planning to visit my home for a month, but due to alarming reports from India, I have postponed my trip. It is really a disgusting situation," added another Indian expatriate.
"My friends are spending on unwanted things, many are not sending children to school because they have no money to pay the taxi, bus or autorikshaw. In hospitals, even for emergency cases, bill payments are affected. Another problem is in vegetable, fruits and fish markets because of shortage of cash. One or two days, the vendors will give credit, but they cannot buy stuff without sufficient fund flow."
"My father kept Rs50,000 at home to pay workers in our farm. [In the] last couple of days, they refused to accept old notes and the organic manure is getting spoiled. It is a very short-sighted measure taken by the government in the name of fighting black money," added Naser, an NRI in the real estate business in Dubai.
"Everyone who has planned a trip is reconsidering their plans because there will be problem to pay even the taxi fare. Due to the situation, passengers, especially business passengers, are postponing or cancelling their trips," added Sudheesh.
"Exchange houses are giving old notes in lieu of the money remitted from the Gulf. I sent money a day before the statement of the prime minister. My family went to the exchange four times to the money exchange and they refused to give new notes. They had to take the old notes and visit a bank to convert Rs35,000. Another friend sent Rs10,000 for routine expenses, but the exchange house is giving only in old notes," said Anwar Naha, president of KMCC Dubai.
"It is not a good time to spend more money and every NRI family is enforcing strict credit controls on family budgets. In the absence of correct change and shortage of small denomination notes in India, people have no other option but to spend more money for unwanted things. Just for buying an item worth Rs200, the customer spends Rs1,800 extra to adjust the change. Many shops don't have change and traders are even planning a strike in protest," added Afsal.
The Indian government, on the other hand, insists that there is no shortage of cash and there is enough stock of currency with the Reserve Bank of India.
- business@khaleejtimes.com

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