Consumers feel 'short changed' due to lack of loose change

A CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, August 17: Due to the lack of coins or small changes traders in the city often end up trading sweets, cigarettes or even coupons much to the irritation of Shillongites.

“Shops owners and other businessmen in the city often thrust us sweets, cigarettes or coupons,” A War an entrepreneur said.

In Shillong it is rather common that bus or taxi fares are rounded up to the nearest multiple of 10 because the driver cannot find the exact change.

According to observers, in Shillong one does not buy stuffs below ten rupees else they are embarrassed that they may be ridiculed by the shopkeeper.

“Sometimes I refuse to accept sweets or other stuffs in exchange change. I rather ask the shopkeeper to keep the balance amount and add it up in my next day’s bill,” Kit Fancon who frequents a particular eating joint in Don Bosco Square said.

Consumers in the city are annoyed by this practice of the traders which has become a rule rather than an exception.

Especially annoying to the consumers are ‘coupons’ or ‘tokens’ words coined by the shopkeepers.

These ‘coupons’ or ‘tokens’ are issued as altertives for change with proper stamp seal and sigtures.

It may be mentioned giving toffees or issuing of ‘coupons/tokens’ in lieu of coins is illegal.

But authorities are yet to crack down on such practices.

A Couple of years back, the Reserve Bank of India held a ‘coin mela’ where Re 1, Rs 2, Rs 5 and Rs 10 coins were distributed to the general public.

However, after this the ‘coin mela’ was never heard of again.

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