Old currency notes being accepted by Central Govt. canteens as outsiders rush to buy supplies

New Delhi, Nov. 23 (ANI): The canteens at North Block which caters exclusively to the requirement of Central Government employees appears to have opened itself to outsiders, who are rushing in to make huge purchases at subsidised rates by using the old 500 and 1,000 rupees currency notes. A visit to the canteen, which is located near gate number 8 of North Block, showed the people buying unusual quantities of supplies by using the old currency notes. It is to be noted that the differential between the product sold at this canteen and the market is nearly 30 to 40 percent. Sources said that clearly there is something going on by which old currency notes are being used to buy products which are then being sold in the open market. For instance, a five litre bottle of olive oil cost around Rs. 2500 at this canteen whereas in the open market it is at least 30 to 40 percent higher. Sources added it appears that most of the people using this canteen are outsiders as no Central Government employees can afford to buy such huge quantities of supplies and that too when the month is ending. With the Centre making a bold attempt to impose tight grip on corrupt citizens and black money hoarders, some economists have maintained dark projections for the Indian economy, which they believe has massively hit the consumers as a whole. FMCG majors like Britannia, Parle, Dabur and Emami had earlier reported a halt on their production as sales slowed down significantly in the aftermath of the demonetisation drive. (ANI)