Four analysts spoke to a variety of people in rural, semi-urban and peri-urban areas of Maharashtra to see what they thought of ‘notebandi’.
Thirteen days after the prime minister announced the invalidation of 86% of India’s currency – that is, Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes – the lives of people in Maharashtra’s villages and towns have been widely disrupted, IndiaSpend’s investigation in five districts found. Our analysts Abhishek Waghmare, Shreya Shah, Swagata Yadavar and Mukta Patil spoke to a variety of people in rural, semi-urban and peri-urban areas of Ahmednagar, Thane and Palghar, Greater Mumbai and Pune districts.
A majority of people in Greater Mumbai hailed the step and showed optimism in the future, while people in the other four districts largely spoke of how the move is affecting their day-to-day lives.
Our analysts tweeted the reactions and observations real-time.
#Notebandi: why Maharashtra for our investigation
Maharashtra is a social and economic microcosm of India: diverse, powerful and poor.
More than 1,000 of India’s richest people – half the country’s total – with assets of more than $30 million each live here in India’s richest state; as do 80 million people who live on less than Rs 1000 per month.
Maharashtra is home to India’s largest wholesale agricultural market, a third of the country’s urban cooperative banks and home base for the largest banks. The state has more ATMs, computers, mobile phones and internet connections than any other. Its 12,000 bank branches are next only to Uttar Pradesh.
Observations
Patil started her day at Chakan and Khed, in Pune district, and found that the lack of cash was affecting wholesale and retail markets.
Meanwhile, Waghmare was at Pathardi in Ahmednagar district.
Shah was in Hamrapur in Thane district.
Yadavar was at the agricultural produce market – known as APMC market – in Vashi, Navi Mumbai.
Patil proceeded to Rajgurunagar in Pune district.
Meanwhile, Waghmare met a civil contractor and a hotel owner in Ahmednagar.
Shah, then, reached the district central co-operative bank in Thane.
Yadavar met a papaya farmer and the president of the Bhajipala Mahasangh at Vashi’s APMC market, while Waghmare met a vegetable seller in Pathardi.
Waghmare then met the manager of a rural co-operative bank, and then a banking business correspondent with the State Bank of India.
Patil met the manager of a milk parlour, and then spoke to the manager of a wedding hall in Khed, Pune district.
Yadavar then met a fruit trader and a retailer at the Vashi APMC market.
Waghmare reached the SBI’s branch in Pathardi, before proceeding to the APMC market.
Shah met a corner shop owner in Thane.
Meanwhile, Yadavar visited the King Edward Memorial Hospital in south-central Mumbai and the Tata Memorial Hospital to speak to patients and their relatives.
Patil then met a cross-section of people including the owner of a store selling seeds, fertilisers, etc., a kirana store owner, and the manager of the district co-operative bank, in Narayangaon, Pune district.
Waghmare then reported that the APMC market at Pathardi, in Ahmednagar district, was shut by traders due to shortage of Rs 100 notes.
This article was originally published in IndiaSpend.