Elderly woman’s lifetime savings found to be demonetised notes

Kamalammal, a resident of Kondayampalayam near Saravanampatti, had the lifetime savings of Rs 31,500 in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

“When the Central government announced demonetisation in 2016, we asked if she had any savings in old currency. However, she denied having any money. As I was staying outstation with my family, I couldn’t check her belongings also for any savings,” said Kamalammal’s son Gopal.

Family members of the nonagenarian, who is living with Gopal, discovered Kamalammal’s savings in demonetised currency recently while cleaning the cupboard used by the elderly woman. Kamalammal’s two daughters Prema (68) and Jayanthi (65), meanwhile, are married and are living elsewhere with their families.

“We recently shifted our house to Kondayampalayam from another neighbourhood. While my daughter was cleaning the bureau used by my mother, it was then that we came to know of the money kept by her, wrapped in a cloth inside. Besides demonetised Rs 500 and 1000 notes, there were also a few Rs 100 notes and some coins,” Gopal told media.

Following the discovery, Gopal visited several banks, explaining that the money was the savings of his elderly mother who was unaware of demonetisation, but in vain. He was turned away and the notes could not be exchanged for valid currency.

It was only hardly a month ago that two sisters, P Rangammal (72) and K Rangammal (75) from Palladam, were found to have saved a total of Rs 46,000 in demonetised currency for their medical expenses. After their plight came to be known, the Tirupur District Collector, however, arranged for old age pension scheme for the sisters. However, Rangammal, who was undergoing treatment for tuberculosis, died without responding to treatment at a hospital in Erode a week ago.