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Old Rs 500/1,000 notes scrapped on suggestion of RBI: Prasad

Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that the decision to scrap Rs 500/1000 notes was taken by the Government on the recommendation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).  

“It is not demonetisation. It is a wrong expression. Our government has only taken decision upon recommendation of Reserve bank of India who is authority to take decisions that notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will not be a legal tender. It is not demonetisation in classical economic sense,” he said.

The Government scrapped acceptance of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes from November 9 onward but allowed their payment for some essential services in limited manner. 

Listing out steps taken by the NDA government to deal with menace of unaccounted money at an event of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, Prasad said Prime Minister Narendra Modi created SIT on black money in the very first Cabinet meeting. 

The government re-negotiated double taxation treaties with Mauritius and Cyprus, and bankruptcy code was brought in. India also entered into an agreement with the US under FATCA. 

“Then, provision under Income Tax was made to disclose black money and pay penalty, then voluntary 
disclosure income scheme was brought, then benami transaction rule was brought in. 

The decision of putting Rs 500 and Rs 1000 out of legal tender was last of these,” Prasad said. He said that the country’s economy has 12-13 per cent cash component out of which Rs 500 and Rs 1000 account for 86 per cent. 
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