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On Tuesday, Subrata Sarkar bought the bike as showroom workers took almost three days to count the money
Subrata Sarkar, a trader from Nadia district, West Bengal, has started saving ₹2 coins in November 2016 given the cash crisis following the demonetization of ₹500 and ₹1,000 tickets. Over the next six years, he saved coins worth ₹1.8 lakh in two bags and used the savings to buy a motorbike.
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“When the demonetization was announced, there was a shortage of banknotes of higher denominations. Coins were in abundance and most of my customers used to pay me using lower denominations and coins wrapped in polythene packets,” said Sarkar, 46, who supplies bidis he makes to Nadia’s local stores.
“Every day I was saving some of the money from payments I received from customers. My idea was to use the money to buy something after a few years. Last month, as I walked past a showroom of two-wheelers, I wondered why I couldn’t buy a bike?”
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He shared the idea with his 17-year-old son, Sekhar, a college student, and quickly started counting coins. Sarkar also contacted the owner of the showroom, who agreed to accept payment in coins. His family counted the savings and put them away in five bags each containing ₹10,000. “…I rented a rickshaw and sent five bags and two bags to the showroom to buy the bike.”
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On Tuesday, Sarkar bought the bike because showroom workers took almost three days to count the money. “We handed over the keys on Tuesday. Five employees counted the coins. The counting ended on Friday. He paid about ₹1.5 lakh in coins,” said Prabir Biswas, the showroom manager.
