Demonetisation: BJD not to meet Prez, to raise issue in Par

While declining to join any political party to meet President Pranab Mukherjee to apprise him of the chaos triggered by the Centre's demonetisation move, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha today asserted that it would rather raise in Parliament the plight of the common people due to the currency note crisis.
"The BJD is not part of any move by others to meet the President and apprise him of the problems being encountered by the people due to the demonetisation," party spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb told reporters here.
Speaking in the same vein, BJD parliamentary party spokesperson Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo said the party had already welcomed the Centre's move of withdrawing higher denomination currency notes as it would check terror funding and black money in the country.

However, it would raise the issue in Parliament during the forthcoming Winter Session and highlight the plight of the common people in the aftermath of the demonetisation, he added.
The Trinamool Congress has taken an initiative to meet the President, along with representatives of other parties, on November 16 or 17 to highlight the currency crisis situation.
Soon after the announcement of withdrawal of old Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes on November 8, Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik had described Prime Minister Narenda Modi's act of demonetisation of currency notes as a "bold step".
He had also said that as more than 80 per cent cash in circulation was being withdrawn, the Union government should take "all efforts" for a smooth transition so that the common people, small traders, daily wage earners and those living in the interior areas and not having access to banks did not suffer any hardship.