The government has placed a weekly limit of 24,000 rupees ($350) on withdrawals as banks struggle to cope with a shortage of cash and many ATMs run dry. But Shaktikanta Das, secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, said families planning a wedding would now be able to withdraw up to 250,000 rupees in one go. The sudden withdrawal of the two highest denomination notes -- aimed primarily at tackling tax evasion -- has created huge problems for families planning weddings in India where most people still use cash, even for large transactions. Agriculture has also been hit hard as farmers struggle to buy seeds and fertiliser with the winter crop-sowing season now under way. There was bad news, however, for anyone who did not fall into those two categories.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 17, 2016 08:43 UTC