DNA: Mumbai: Tuesday, February 14,
2017.
The currency
note printing press of Reserve Bank of India has refused to disclose its
printing capacity, even as similar information is available on its website.
Responding to
an RTI application by Pune-based activist Vihar Dhurve, Bharatiya Reserve Bank
Note Mudran Private Limited cited 8(1)(a) of the Right to Information Act to
deny information.
The section
allows a public authority to withhold the information disclosure of which would
prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security,
strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign
State or lead to incitement of an offence.
The website
of the press, however, mentions "the present capacity for both the presses
is 16 billion note pieces per year on a 2-shift basis."
In his
application, Dhurve had sought to know the printing capacity to print new
currency notes of Rs 2000 and Rs 500.
Bharatiya
Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited operates two currency note press, one
at Mysore in Karnataka and the other at Salboni in West Bengal.
In an earlier
response to a separate RTI application, the press had refused to give details
of preparedness to tackle crisis arising out of the sudden demonetisation of Rs
1000 and Rs 500 notes on November 8, 2016.
According to
Finance Ministry, the value demonetised currency was Rs 15.44 lakh crore.
The RBI has
not been denying information about currency situation in the country and its
preparedness in the wake of demonetisation citing one exemption or the other.
The monetary
policy regulator had refused to give reasons, sought under the RTI Act, behind
the decision to demonetise Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes.
It had also
refused to give any details about the time it will take to replenish the
currency notes.
The
subsidiary was established 21 years ago with an aim to augment currency
printing capacity of RBI "to bridge the gap between the supply and demand
for bank notes in the country".