Customers Throw Currency Notes In Odisha Capital; RBI Says All Banks Asked To Open Exchange Facilities

Bhubaneswar: In a novel way of protest, several people were seen throwing torn and soiled currency notes in front of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) office in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. They alleged that the bank authorities were not accepting the damaged notes for exchange.

Unusual scenes were witnessed as the damaged currency notes in denominations of Rs 100, Rs 200 and Rs 500 were found lying on the street facing the RBI office, sources said

Some people said that they had come to exchange the damaged currency notes, but the bank employees did not accept the notes. Therefore, they threw the notes as a mark of protest.

While the bank authorities reportedly maintained that the counter for exchange of damaged notes has been closed since October 3, the customers claimed that no notice has been issued in this connection.

As an exchange of words erupted between the bank officials and customers, a team of police personnel visited the site and pacified the protesters.

An official of the RBI’s regional office said that all the banks have already been instructed to exchange soiled, mutilated and defective notes and accept coins and notes either for transaction or exchange from the members of the public. There is no need for the people to approach RBI regional offices for the purpose.

Controlling heads of all banks have been advised to impress upon currency chests and branches to extend note and coin exchange facilities to the members of the public in order to ensure that they are not deprived of the exchange facilities and to ensure withdrawal of soiled and mutilated notes from circulation.