Note ban hits New Year parties

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Dec 31, 2016, DHNS: Some of the city clubs known for organising lavish New Year celebrations have received fewer bookings this year ostensibly because of cash crunch following demonetisation. Consequently, they will scale down the celebrations.

The colonial-era Bowring Institute, which spent Rs 25-30 lakh to ring in the last new year, will spend just Rs 6-7 lakh on the December 31 night celebrations. It will also host fewer revellers — from 2,000 last year to just 700 this time.

S Rajnikanth, member-in-charge, entertainment subcommittee, Bowring Institute, said the budget for New Year celebrations was just 10 % of the previous year’s, and attributed it to cash crunch.

Cosmopolitan Club at Jayanagar, established in 1968, is also grappling with fewer bookings. But one of its members sounded confident that bookings would go up in the next two days.

Cutting expenses

Regular club hoppers seem to be cutting down on their New Year’s Eve expenses and are planning to stay home. Umesh S, who visits Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) club every New Year’s Eve, is among them. He said he changed his plans owing to cash shortage.

Some other clubs are determined to beat the demonetisation blues by accepting digital payments. Bangalore Club, another colonial-period facility, is planning to host the celebrations like every year as many of its members have made the bookings online, an official said.

A representative of Century Club maintained that it does not hold New Year celebrations on a grand scale and hence was unaffected by cash crunch.