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Sale of 50 paise chocolates has
picked up manifold in Madurai not because of people's sudden love
for it but to tide over acute shortage of 50 paise coins.
The chocolates are given in some
government and private buses, canteens, hotels, drug stores and
parking places in place of coins, a wholesale dealer of
confectioneries said.
Some scrap dealers attribute this
shortage to mass purchase of coins by blade manufacturers in Mumbai
for making high-quality razor blades.
The dealers said they were paying two rupees for
one rupee coin and one rupee for a 50 paise coin. The companies in
turn would pay more margin to us, they said.
"Though the business was at a peak till a month
ago, there is shortage of coins at present," said Nazeer and Selvam,
dealers in scrap iron business.
They said they had a deal with employees who were
manning the vehicle parking areas and some bus conductors to supply
coins. But they too were facing problems in procuring the coins now.
"We sell two bottles of chocolate instead of one
bottle", said Krishnamurthy a leading agent of branded chocolates.
Even in hospital canteens, where a cup of coffee
or tea costs Rs 3.50, chocolates were given for 50 paise balance, he
said.
"A conductor or a parking lot employee would earn
about Rs 15 if he is able to use a bottle of chocolates for the
purpose of giving the change," said a transport official.
However, the chocolates were not given in all the
buses as in the rural areas there was no coin shortage.
"In some city buses they (chocolates) are given
without our authorisation," a city transport corporation official
said.
The corporation officials said they had
approached some cooperative banks and temples to provide 50 paise
coins. "Once they procure the coins, we would be able to provide
change (money) to the passengers," an official said.
A bus conductor said he was forced to sell the
chocolates as the passengers quarrelled with him even if he told
them that he did not have coins.
However, Muniasamy of Madurai Consumer Protection
Centre, described the scarcity of 50 paise coins as "artificial".
"Chocolates are being thrust on the people. It is
a ploy of the chocolate dealers to sell their product," he said, and
demanded immediate action.
He agreed that chocolates had at least helped to
end the quarrel over coins on a "sweet note".
"But they cannot continue this indefinitely. It
is the responsibility of the government to ensure that sufficient
number of coins are circulated," he said. (Agencies)
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