Today is the last day to use old Rs 500 notes at petrol pumps, for airline tickets

New Delhi: With effect from December 3, old Rs 500 notes cannot be used for purchase of petrol, diesel and gas at the stations operating under authorisation of public sector oil marketing companies and for buying airline tickets at airport counters.
It has been decided that with effect from the midnight of 2nd December, 2016, petrol, diesel and gas outlets of public sector oil and gas marketing companies will be removed from the exempted category for receipt of old Rs 500 bank notes. It may be noted that supply of LPG continues to be in the exempted category for payment through old Rs 500 bank notes,  a government notification said.
Similarly, purchase of air tickets at the airports was included initially in the exempted category. It is observed that air ticketing counters have facilities to accept non cash/digital payments. Further, enough time has been allowed for travelers to be prepared with legal tender and/or non cash modes of payment. It has, therefore, been decided that with effect from midnight of 2nd December, 2016, the exemption allowed for purchase of air tickets at airports through old Rs. 500 notes will be removed from the exempted category, the notification said.
The other exempted categories that have earlier been notified will continue to accept old Rs. 500 notes as per the said notifications, the notification added.
Toll payment in both old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes was accepted till December 2 and from December 3 it was to be limited in 500 rupee notes. But now this facility too has been withdrawn.
So from December 3, fuel purchase, airline ticket booking at airport counters and highway toll payment would be allowed only in lower denomination currency or the new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes.
The government had on November 24 extended till December 15 the facility of using old Rs 500 notes in public utilities and included more services like mobile recharge but stopped the over-the-counter exchange of defunct currencies and use of Rs 1,000 notes.
Payment towards pre-paid mobile top-up to a limit of Rs 500 per recharge had also been allowed while purchase from consumer cooperative stores were limited to Rs 5,000 at a time.
Current and arrear dues payments will be limited to only water and electricity, a facility that will continue to be available only for individuals and households.
However, the payments for the transactions under all the exempted categories will now be accepted only through old Rs 500 notes.
The exemptions were initially announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he disclosed the demonetisation scheme on November 8. Subsequently there have been modifications in these measures.
The Government has also been receiving various suggestions in this regard. After due consideration of all relevant aspects, decisions relating to certain operational aspects of the demonetisation scheme have seen modification lately.