Demonetisation has little impact on Shimla village
MOOLKOTI: At a time when citizens of the capital town Shimla are jostling to get cash from the banks, villagers of Moolkoti are busy with their chores.
Moolkoti, a small village located 30 kilometres from Shimla which has a population of nearly 300 persons, has remained fairly undisturbed by the Centre’s demonetisation move.
The main stay of the people here is agricultural crops. There are many who have taken small-time jobs to earn their livelihood. Villagers work as masons, carpenters, and taxidrivers. Many of them are also self-employed.
The village has no banks and no automated teller machines. The nearest bank is 13 kilometres away, at Baldiyan. Some of the villagers have their accounts in a bank at the much-cherished tourist suburb Mashobra, which is also located about 13 kilometres from the village.
A majority of the people say they have an account in jan dhan yojana. “More than 80% of the villagers have opened their account in Jana Dhan Yojana,” says Ruchi Thakur, panchayat pradhan, Moolkoti Panchayat.
“There was no panic amongst the people in the village when we heard about the government’s decision on television,” said Kamala Devi, 55.
“People had less cash lying at their homes. Whatever they had, they exchanged it quickly and the banks were kind enough to do so,” she said.
There are many in the village who unaware about the move. “I don’t know anything. I have nothing to do with banks. I am illiterate. All I can say that I am happy with the way we are living,” says 76-year-old Kanko Devi, who was returning from a primary health centre at Mashobra.
The villagers initially felt the impact of demonetisation but situation normalised for them within days. “For two or three days, the sales at my shop declined but they have picked up pace now,” says Hira Mohan Sharma, 55, who have been running a grocery shop in the village for the last 34 years. “I am a member of the Congress. But what Modi has done is worth appreciating,” he says.
The people in the village say that they did not find it difficult to cope up with the cash crunch as their needs are limited.
“It’s the big people, with the money stacked in their houses, who should worry. I have nothing to lose,” says 60-year-old Ranvir Singh, while he grazing his cattle in the nearby fields.
Rakesh Kumar, 26, a waiter at the local restaurant at Tarapur is all praises for the government’s decision. “Modi’s decision is praiseworthy as it will help check black money. It will help us strengthen the economy and youngsters will get more job opportunities,” he says.