Rajnath, Jaitley review situation across country

Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday took stock of the prevailing situation in the country in the wake of demonetisation of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes.

In an hour-long meeting, the two Ministers were briefed about the situation in different states where heavy rush were witnessed in banks and ATMs to change old notes and withdraw cash.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and other top officials of the Ministries of Home and Finance attended the meeting, official sources said.

The Centre has already asked all states to ensure proper security in all banks, ATMs and vehicles transporting cash in the wake of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

The Home Ministry has deputed three too officials to be in touch with state governments to ensure security of banks, ATMs and cash transporting vehicles. 

The three officials are taking regular feedbacks from the Director Generals of Police and the situation in respective states, official sources said.

However, so far no report of any major violence or untoward incident has come from anywhere in the country.

“We have conveyed to the states that if they require any assistance, we will provide immediately,” an official said.

The Central government is expecting the financial situation to be normal in next few days.

Two separate advisories were sent to all states in this regard, the official said.

The Reserve Bank of India had on Saturday said that currency printing presses are running at “full capacity” to sustain demand for new notes.

Adequate stock of all currency notes has been kept ready at more than 4,000 locations across the country, and bank branches are linked to them for sourcing their requirements, RBI said.

Long queues were witnessed at bank branches across the country to withdraw money and also to exchange the demonetised Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes.