A recent RTI query has uncovered a significant disparity between the number of newly designed Rs 500 notes printed in Indian mints and the quantity received by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The unaccounted value of the missing notes reportedly amounts to an astonishing Rs 88,032.5 crore.
According to the RTI reply, the three Indian mints produced 8,810.65 million pieces of the new Rs 500 note, while the RBI only received 7,260 million. The whereabouts of the remaining notes are unknown, as per the website’s claims. Despite inquiries made by the Free Press Journal (FPJ) to the RBI, no response has been received thus far.
Indian currency notes are printed at three government-run mints: Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran (P) Limited in Bengaluru, Currency Note Press in Nashik, and Bank Note Press in Dewas. These mints supply the printed notes to the RBI, which manages the circulation of cash in the country.
The RTI query, filed by activist Manoranjan Roy, revealed discrepancies in the figures.