Congress holds protest against note ban

Cash Dispensation at PetrolPump
Delighted customers after getting Cash at PetrolPumps in Lucknow UP@dpradhanbjp @AshutoshJindalS pic.twitter.com/JjwKdYhetY

— Hindustan Petroleum (@HPCL) November 18, 2016

Frustrated by long queues outside banks and ATMs? You can now drive into a petrol pump to draw cash. Swipe your debit card at petrol stations run by state-run oil companies and you will get Rs 2,000.

The demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes is expected to hit terror funding and counterfeiting+ as there are additional security features in new notes which are very difficult to replicate, a senior government official said.

Warning the Centre of a revolt by the people, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took to the streets demanding that the demonetisation move be revoked within three days. The two chief ministers also visited the RBI office and submitted a list of questions on the availability of the currency.

Congress warned that the crisis arising out of the currency ban had hit the rural, unorganised and agriculture sectors the hardest and the negative impact would last for at least one year.

The government has formed an inter-ministerial committee to look into concerns expressed by NRIs, tourists from abroad and foreign missions over demonetisation, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday.

Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad's remarks comparing alleged deaths related to demonetisation with casualties in the terror attack in Uri kicked up a row on Thursday, with BJP demanding an "unconditional apology" for an insensitive statement.

"The queues are becoming smaller. Deposits and withdrawals are progressing well... With this (however), the facility to exchange Rs 4,500 has been misused. The government will not accept this misuse. This amount has been reduced," the FM said.

"India is pushing towards digitisation in a big way. The scale of the country means that once India gets there, the amount of digital innovation here will be greater than anywhere else in the world," Gates said. Among big benefits of digital financial transactions, he counted a deep reduction in the cost of borrowing for the poor.

Rs. 2000 per person per day in cash can be dispensed.Facility to be extended to over 20,000 petrol pumps

— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) November 17, 2016

(PTI reports)

Out of 100 bangle factories in Firozabad, 90 have downed shutters in the past few days due to cash crush. Industrialists complained that as compared to the need of Rs 2 lakh per day to pay daily wagers and buy raw materials, they are getting just Rs 50,000 per week which is not enough to run business.

The government on Thursday announced another set of measures to ease the impact of its demonetisation move on the masses. Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision on November 8, the government has been constantly reviewing the implementation of the move and announcing relaxations to ease the pressure.

The demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency is inspired by political and not economic considerations, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday.

"Firstly, the black money holders do not keep their illegal money in cash. They invest it in real estate and gold or put it in safe havens abroad. There is very little black money in the form of hard cash," the former Union minister said.

"Secondly, there is not more than Rs 400-500 crore in fake currency in circulation, according to estimates, which is just 0.02 per cent of the total currency," he added.

GSRTC announces 5% discount on online ticket bookings from today mindnight. The announcement was to encourage online booking as the conductors were finding difficulty to give change.

It is the government’s prerogative as to who will reply to a debate, Jaitley says

Chief minister and his cabinet colleagues to observe a day long dharna before Reserve Bank of India on Friday.

— G Rajiv (@GRajivTOI) November 17, 2016

The government on Thursday rejected demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response on the debate on demonetisation and accused the opposition of using it as an excuse to scuttle discussion on the issue in Parliament.

M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters after Parliament was adjourned for the day that the reply to the debate would be given by the minister concerned or any other person on behalf of the government as per the rules of the House and precedents.