Jaitley discounts rumours that Rs.2000 notes would be withdrawn

Union Finance Miniser Arun Jaitley has dismissed rumours that the Centre was considering ‘withdrawing’ currency notes of Rs.2000 denomination introduced last September soon after the demonetization drive was launched.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the nation and his partymen by surprise by announcing last September the Centre’s decision to demonetize the existing currency note of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 denomination to arrest black-money laundering.  People across the length and breadth of the country underwent huge difficulties and financial crises before coming to term with the process of demonetization.

Currency notes of Rs.2000 denomination were launched soon after with the purpose of arresting the culture of black-money laundering.  In the meantime, rumours spread yesterday across social networking sites and via word-to-mouth that the Centre was planning to withdraw note of Rs.2000 denomination and that it would soon make an announcement in this regard.

A few vendors showed hesitation in receiving these notes while a few others outrightly asked their customers/clients to pay in other denominations.  Talking to newsmen in New Delhi in the evening, Jaitley discounted these rumours and appealed to the people not to be misled by those rumours.  “We don’t have any such plans and there is no need to press the panic button,” he added.