Supply of essential items to be hit in MP as currency crunch

Demonetisation of high-value currency notes will affect the supply of essential commodities in Madhya Pradesh as nearly 60 per cent of the trucks are stranded due to the currency crunch, a top official of the truckers' body said today.
"Because of the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and lack of availability of the (new) currency, we are able to run only 40 per cent of the trucks, while the remaining 60 per cent remain stranded," Madhya Pradesh Motor Transport Association president Parvinder Singh Bhatia told PTI.
He said the Centre's demonetisation move has not only affected the transporters, but also the supply of essential goods.

Bhatia said transporters used to give a certain amount of money to the drivers towards the necessary expenses during transportation.
"But, after the sudden announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes on November 8, the drivers on the long routes are facing difficulties," he added.
Cities such as Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Burhanpur are the major centres for transporting goods and they are badly hit by the Centre's decision, Bhatia said.