Sir — While coins are now as much plenty in circulation that many vendors give coins easily, yet most retailers have made it a practice to give candies and chocolates in place of coins even though they have sufficient coins in their cash-boxes. It is a noble way to earn extra profit through such forced sale of unwanted items devised in the days when coins were in scarcity.
The Union Government should make a planned strategy whereby coin bags of one and five rupees may be always available in all bank branches having facility to hold coin bags. Since coins of Rs 10 denominations have not attained popularity, further minting in this denomination may be stopped for the time-being.
Instead, smaller-sized plastic notes, as promised years ago in the lok Sabha, may be issued in Rs 10 denominations. Stress may be given on minting coins only in denominations of one and five rupees, stopping minting of two-rupee coins also because presently with two-rupee coins in plenty as compared to rupee-one coins, consumers have to leave one-rupee balance with shopkeepers or to accept candy because of poor availability one-rupee coin.
One-rupee coins can fulfil purpose of two-rupee coins as well because of less weight and multiplicity of payment-options. With all these steps taken, forcing unwanted items in place of coins can be made offence under law.