Lok Sabha Question No. 1345 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-19
Subject: Printing of Rs. 2000 Notes
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Pritam Gopinath Munde

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1345

ANSWERED ON 19.09.2020

## Printing of Rs. 2000 Notes

## 1345. SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU: DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a)      whether  printing  of  Rs.  2000  denomination  notes  has  been  discontinued  by  the Government;
- (b)   if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the details of Rs. 2000 denomination notes in circulation in the country during 2019-20 as compared to previous year;
- (d) whether the process of printing of various denomination notes has been delayed due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and certain other developments in the country;
- (e)   if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)   the details of corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

(a) & (b): Printing of bank  notes of particular denomination  is decided by the Government in consultation with RBI to maintain desired denomination mix for facilitating transactional  demand  of  public.  During  the  year  2019-20  and  2020-21,  no  indent  has  been placed  with  the  presses  for  printing  of  Rs.  2000  denomination  notes.  However,  there  is  no decision to discontinue the printing of Rs. 2000 denomination bank notes by the Government.

## (c): The details of Rs. 2000 in Notes in Circulation (NIC) are as under:

| Date                                  | Pieces (in lakhs)*                    | Value (in crores)*                    |
|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| March 31, 2019                        | 32,910                                | 6,58,199                              |
| March 31, 2020                        | 27, 398                               | 5,47,952                              |
| * values approximated to round figure | * values approximated to round figure | * values approximated to round figure |

(d) to (f): The Reserve Bank of India has informed that in view of nation-wide lockdown due to  Covid-19  pandemic,  printing  of  notes  stopped  temporarily.  However,  the  note  printing presses resumed production in a phased manner, as per the guidelines issued by Central/State Government.

The production activities  at  Bhartiya  Reserve  Bank  Note  Mudran  Private  Limited (BRBNMPL) presses were suspended from March 23, 2020 to May 03, 2020. Printing of bank notes at BRBNMPL presses resumed w.e.f. May 04, 2020.

Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) has informed that  printing  of  bank  notes  at  their  presses  was  also  affected  due  to  COVID-19  pandemic. Both,  Bank Note Presses of SPMCIL, that is, Currency Note Press,  Nashik and Bank Note Press,  Dewas  were  closed  down  w.e.f.  March  23,  2020  due  to  lockdown  declared  by Central/State Government for COVID-19 pandemic. Currency Note Press, Nashik and Bank Note Press, Dewas resumed full-fledged production activities w.e.f. June 08, 2020 and June 01, 2020, respectively.

During the period of lockdown, note printing presses have uninterruptedly supplied notes to RBI offices/currency chests from stock of notes available with them through Indian Railway Treasury Wagons etc.

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