SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Government in the Centre had claimed that demonetisation has broken the backbone of terrorism and halted the circulation of fake currency after Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes were banned in the market but surprisingly, Rs 10 coin’s missing ‘Rupee’ symbol has raked up new controversy as the coin is not being accepted neither by the shopkeepers and the bankers as well.
The ‘aam admi’ had just heaved a sigh of relief with money flow smoothening in the banks and the Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) but the hullabaloo over Rs 10 coin, without ‘Rupee’ symbol not being accepted in the market, has put people in limbo.
The customers are often seen arguing or fighting with the shopkeepers over non-acceptance of Rs 10 coin these days in this winter capital, as the traders with a plea that the coins having no ‘Rupee’ symbol are ‘fake’.
The front side of the coin rejected by the banks and shopkeepers carry no ‘Rupee’ symbol besides having 15 lines but those being circulated in the market and accepted, carry the symbol with 10 lines.
Meanwhile, the other side of the coin is having Ashoka Symbol with a mention of digit 10 and the year.
“It is becoming difficult to identify between the real and the fake coins and astonishingly there is no circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India or any other agency too on this,” Reeta Mahajan, a customer said.
She however, rued that how the shopkeepers at their own can take decision of not accepting the coins when no such advisory has been issued on ‘fake coin’ being circulated in the market.
“We have no other option left without saying ‘NO’ to the coins having no ‘Rupee’ symbol,” Ramesh Sharma, a Provision store owner said.
He said that the coin having no ‘Rupee’ symbol means that there is something fishy following which such coins are being denied from the customers.
The locals have appealed to the RBI to take a call and clear the situation to relieve them and the business fraternity as well. However, another theory making round reveals that after demonetisation, the coins were circulated in large in the market while big business houses also relied on exchange of coins to run their trade but as things have streamlined to some extent, coins are being rejected by terming them as ‘fake’.
“Earlier the similar coins, having mention of year 2010, were being circulated and accepted without any hurdle but once the coin with year 2015 carrying ‘Rupee’ symbol, the former are being rejected,” Anshu Koul rued.
She however, asked RBI to come out with a justification so that ‘coin trouble’ can be sorted out.
