Chennai, Oct 20 (IANS): Chinnakannu, a visually challenged destitute survives on alms from the people of Chinnagoundanar village in Pavakkai panchayat of Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.
After surviving on alms all these years, the 65-year-old got the shock of his life when a local person, Kannayian, who mends footwear, told him that the currency in his possession was worthless as the Government has demonetised it.
He immediately rushed to the Krishnagiri district collectorate and filed an application before the district collector to help him get the notes exchanged. In the application, Chinnakannu informed the district collector that he did not have any knowledge of the demonetisation and that he had nobody to help him.
The visually impaired person requested the collector to replace his Rs 65000 savings with new currency notes as he did not have any other money except for Rs 300.
The collector forwarded his request to the District Revenue Officer who directed him to the district lead bank. The lead bank forwarded his request to the Reserve Bank of India.
The Reserve Bank had permitted the exchange of cash only up to March 31, 2017. The district collector has arranged for a pension under the elderly person quota for Chinnakannu.