The State Government has urged the Reserve Bank of India to supply high-denomination notes to the Maoist-affected districts.
With the demonetisation decision by the Government of India, an acute shortage of cash is felt in several districts of the State including those termed as leftwing Extremist (lWE)-hit.
Home Principal Secretary Asit Tripathy has brought to the notice of the RBI authorities that for last so many years, high-denomination tenders like old `500 and `1000 notes were not supplied in the lWE districts.
Now after the RBI issued new `2000 and `500 notes, these are also not supplied to the Maoist-hit districts.
There are 19 districts in the State which are termed as lWE areas and are in the list of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The districts are Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Nayagarh, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj, which are included in the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.
Several important towns such as Baripada, Rourkela and Paralakhemundi are not receiving high-denomination notes. So, people in the urban pockets are facing crunch of cash while the situation in rural areas is much problematic.
The lWE districts are receiving security-related expenditure grants from the Union Government. However, the MHA or the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has never issued such restrain orders to the RBI, sources said. This was checked up by the State Government with these Ministries, an official here confirmed.
There is always a change in situation as with the huge presence of 17 Battalions of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the State police force, the Maoists are on the run.
Maoist activities in Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Nabarangpur and Nayagarh are on the wane though a few incidents have been reported in Rourkela, Angul, Rayagada, Balangir, Boudh and Bargarh districts, the sources said.
In the light of the improved situation, the State Government has impressed upon the Centre to delete three districts, where there are no activities of ultras, from the Security-Related Expenditure (SRE) list.
While the Government of India has said not to supply high-denomination notes to the places on international borders and sensitive zones and has asked the RBI to consult the State Governments over the issue.
However, without consulting the Odisha Government, the RBI authorities have issued a blanket ban on the banks on issue of any high-denomination notes to the Maoist-hit districts.
So, the State Government has urged the RBI to resume supply of high-denomination notes to the lWE districts because people are suffering due to short supply of cash, said sources. And the State Government has assured the RBI authorities to provide adequate security support and police protection for dispatch of the currency notes for local distribution, an official said.