Tamil Nadu: Disabled Couple Find Life Savings In Demonetised Currency, District Collector Comes To Rescue

A disabled couple residing in Tamil Nadu's Erode district who made a living by selling incense sticks in the district were elated to discover their cash savings of Rs 24,000 from the sale of a cow five years ago.

However, the joy soon turned to shock when K Somu and his wife Palaniammal, both in their fifties, learned that the hard-earned cash was rendered worthless, being in Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes demonetised nearly four years ago.

The New Indian Express reported that on Friday, July 10, the bank staff informed the elderly couple that the notes had been demonetised in 2016.

"So, our joy knew no bounds when my wife and I found our savings of Rs 24,000 from the sale of our cow five years ago. On Friday, we took the cash to the bank but were told the money was worthless," said Somu.

The couple had been struggling to make ends meet amid the coronavirus lockdown and expected the savings to help them tide over the crisis.

Somu said he came to know about the scrapping of the high-value currency notes which happened four years ago, only on Friday, when he took the savings to deposit in a bank so that they can utilise it to meet their requirements.

But the bank officials said that there was no provision to convert the old currency notes. They reportedly sought help from the district officials and found their saviour in the district collector.

Erode Collector C Kathiravan played the role of a good samaritan, reportedly arranged a vehicle for them to visit his office and donated a sum of Rs 25,000 from his own salary.

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