Kochi: A Catholic church in the southern Indian state of Kerala has come to the rescue of ordinary people reeling under the current crisis in the country.
St Martin de Pores Church in Kakkanad Thevackal, a suburb of Kochi, Kerala’s commercial capital, on November 13 opened it donation boxes for those desperate for cash to meet urgent daily needs.
“We took the decision after many came complaining that they could not find money to buy medicines and daily provisions,” parish priest Fr Jimmy Poochakkatt told Malayala Manorama, Kerala’s leading Malayalam newspaper. The priest, who is also the spokesperson of the Syro-Malabar Church, said he kept the boxes open from 6 am.
Joshy Chirayath, the parish trustee, said they announced that anyone who requires money for urgent needs could take the cash from the boxes. “They can deposit the amount in the same box after they get cash,” he added.
His companion Jiju Vanikulathu said at least 200 made use of the money from the church boxes to buy provisions and return small loans. They were ordinary people, who have no ATM cards, he added.
However, nobody took notes of 500 and 1,000 denominations that government declared illegal on November 9 as part of its crackdown on black money.
The boxes were kept open even after bank closed its operations for the day. Banks operated even on Sunday, November 13, to meet the rush of people who wanted to change their old notes and withdraw money.
Serpentine queues were seen before banks and ATM counters throughout the country. Sporadic clashes were also reported as people’s patience ran think when they failed to get cash even after queuing up for hours.
On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation through television to announce that bank notes of 500 and 1000 denominations would cease to be legal tender from midnight that day.
Automatic teller machines were closed on November 9 and 10. Government organizations are expected to bring out new notes within a month. The has accepted the proposal of Reserve Bank of India in bringing out 2000-rupee banknotes and a new version of the 500. The old notes are being removed from circulation. India has a total 890 trillion black money.
In India, black money refers to funds earned on the black market, on which income and other taxes have not been paid. The total amount of black money deposited in foreign banks, according to some reports, is US$1.06 trillion held illegally in Switzerland.