RTI reveals No ban on Scribbled Currency Notes

File Complaint if Banks Refuse to Accept Scribbled Notes : RBI in an RTI Reply

File Complaint if Banks Refuse to Accept Notes with Writing on them : RBI in an RTI Reply

Jammu, 24/May/2017: Reserve Bank of India have clarified that it had not issued any circular to banks not to accept Indian Currency notes with scribbling or writing on them with pen or pencil.

While  responding to an RTI application of Jammu resident Raman Sharma in this regard, the Central Public Information Officer of department of Currency Management of  the Reserve Bank of India vide his office letter no. RBIND/R/2017/51409/1  dated 22/May/2017 have made it clear that the reserve bank have not issued any circular or directive to the banks not to accept Indian legal currency notes with writing on them.

The CPIO of the bank in his official communication have also informed that one   may register a complaint in case of refusal by the bank to accept the scribbled notes and if the bank’s reply is not satisfactory then complaint may be register with the Bank’s Ombudsman.  Moreover in the reply the Reserve bank have also made it clear that one may even exchange scribbled or notes with writing on them at the RBI exchange counters .

In the reply, the RBI also referred the press notes issued by it on 31/Dec/2013 wherein it is being stated “ in the wake of rumours circulating in the matter that from January, 01, 2014, the banks will not accept banknotes with anything written on them, the Reserve bank has urged members of the public not to fall prey to such rumours and to use their bank notes without any fear, the RBI has clarified that it has not issued any such instructions”.

It is pertinent to mention here that recently after Nov-8 last year after the demonetization of Rs. 2000 and Rs 500 notes,  mostly bank staff members refused to accept  currency notes with written anything on them citing direction of the Reserve Bank of India thus cause lot of inconvenience    to general public.

While expressing satisfaction over the reply and clarification by the Reserve Bank of India in this regard, Raman Sharma the applicant thanked the RBI and urged the people not to believe hearsay and in case any bank refuse to accept their hard earned money with written something on it just fight for the right , however he also appealed the people not to deliberately deface the currency notes as it may create difficulty in identifying the genuineness of the legal currency notes because with scribbling and writing on them hides very important security features of the currency notes.  

Many private and public sector banks have even  pasted notices cautioning the account holders that writing anything on bank notes is a criminal offence and such notes shall not be accepted in their bank branches.