The old currency notes of Rs 500 denomination will not be acceptable for paying utility bills or buying medicines from today, i.e. December 15 midnight.
According to Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das, the government has decided against extending exemptions on old Rs 500 notes beyond December 15.
"Exemptions for use of old Rs 500 notes will end on December 15 midnight," Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das tweeted.
That means old Rs 500 currency notes will not be acceptable at medicine shops and for paying public utility services such as payment of electricity and water bill etc.
It also means that people will not be able to avail mobile recharge facility with old Rs 500 notes from December 15 midnight.
However, they can deposit Rs 500 currency in their bank accounts.
The government had already withdrawn some of the relaxations like booking railway or plane tickets and payment at petrol pumps and toll plazas by using the old Rs 500 notes.
While cancelling legal tender of 500 and 1,000 notes on November 8, the government had allowed them to be used for utility bill payments for the first 72 hours. This deadline was extended repeatedly and the last extension was granted till December 15.
In between, the government withdrew use of 1,000-rupee notes for utility bill payments and discontinued use of even Rs 500 ones for services like purchase of petrol and diesel at petrol pumps as well as buying air tickets at airport counters.
Since the demonetisation announcement, the government has been pushing towards promoting digital transactions and has come out with a package to incentivise cashless payments.
(With PTI inputs)
