Demonitisation has not only hit the Indian population hard, but also the diplomatic corps posted in India. In fact, expatriates living abroad too are feeling the pinch. The Ministry of External Affairs is flooded with requests from foreign embassies based in India and Indian embassies abroad and foreign tourists seeking exemptions or making special provisions to wriggle out of the present situation. The MEA has forwarded these requests to the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) overseeing the demonetisation process.
The DEA has now formed an inter-Ministerial committee headed at the level of an Additional Secretary. “A senior Joint Secretary from the MEA is also a member of that committee and we await their guidance, advice and recommendation which can then be shared with those various categories that have approached us,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said on Thursday.
“The resident Diplomats based in India have told us that diplomatic missions require higher level of funds and the existing limits will not be sufficient for them, and if those can be increased for diplomatic missions. Some of them have said that they collect consular and visa fees. If they are collected in old notes how will they be deposited and how will they be exchangedIJ The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (Ambassador Hans Dannenberg Castellanos from the Dominican Republic) had a meeting with us and brought these to our attention,” Swarup said on Thursday.
The NRIs having Indian currency abroad too are stuck. Indians are allowed to carry only specified amount of Indian currency abroad. Several NRIs carrying such money and who have no travel plans to India immediately have asked Indian embassies to intervene and help them change. Media reports from United Arab Emirates (UAE) claimed Indian expatriates have appealed seeking sufficient time to deposit the defunct Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 as their work permit does not allow them travel to home at present. Several also asked Indian embassies to open special counters to accept the invalid notes.
Similarly, foreign visitors and tourists, particularly those coming for medical tourism, have sought MEA’s intervention. “These persons, particularly on medical treatment to India, have told us that they have specific requirements and need to have higher thresholds,” Swarup said.
The Money Changers Associations abroad too have sought relaxation in demonetisation norms. “This is quite interesting because we don’t have full convertibility. But it shows the strength of the Indian rupee that we have Money Changers Association abroad which is ready to dispense Indian rupees. So they have asked us the same question as to what they would do with the stacks they have. How do they convert thoseIJ” Swarup said.