The deadline for using old 500 rupee notes at petrol pumps and buying airline tickets at airports has been cut short to tomorrow from the 15th of this month announced earlier. A government notification said, old notes will continue to be accepted for the other utility bill payments as well as at railway ticketing counters and counters of government or public sector undertaking buses for purchase of bus tickets till the 15th.

While junking old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes on the 8th of last month, the government had allowed their use for utility bill payments for 72 hours.

The deadline was extended twice and when the last one was to expire on 24th of last month, it amended it to state that only the old 500 rupee notes could be used for payment of utility bills like electricity and water, school fees, pre-paid mobile top-up, fuel purchase and airline ticket booking.

Also, the government has dropped its earlier announced plan to allow the use of old 500 rupee notes for payment of toll at national highways from Saturday. Toll payment in both old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes was accepted till tomorrow and from Saturday, it was to be limited in 500 rupee notes. But now, this facility too has been withdrawn.