The quantum of new currency notes of Rs2,000 and Rs500 printed before the announcement of demonetisation on November 8 cannot be disclosed as it may affect interests of the State, a subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) responsible for printing currency, has said.
The response of the subsidiary came following an RTI query sent to RBI under the Right to Information Act seeking to know the preparedness of the Bankers’ Bank to handle the cash crisis arising out of sudden announcement by PM Narendra Modi to demonetise Rs1,000 and Rs500. The RBI forwarded the query to Bhartiya Reserve Bank Note (P) limited, Bengaluru which is wholly owned subsidiary of RBI to respond to query ‘how much currency of new Rs2,000 and Rs500 was printed before announcement of cessation of Rs500 and Rs1000 as legal tender was made on November 8’. The subsidiary was established 21 years ago with an aim to augment currency printing capacity of RBI ‘to bridge the gap between the supply and demand for bank notes in the country’ with present capacity for its presses of 16 billion note pieces per year on a two-shift basis, as per web site of BRBNl.
In its response to RTI query, BRBNl said the information cannot be disclosed citing section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act. The section allows declining information disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence.