MP to urge Centre for orphaned kids’ old notes exchange
Kota MP Om Birla assured two orphaned siblings on Sunday that he would urge the central government to relax rules for exchange of demonetised currency notes of ₹96,500 found at their house.
Sooraj Banjara (16) and his sister Saloni Banjara (11), who stay at a child home in Kota city, have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help them get the scrapped bills exchanged.
They were brought to the child home after their mother was murdered four years ago in Sahrawada village of Kota district; their father died earlier.
The old notes, and jewellery worth ₹50,000 were found when social activists and police, on the instruction of the Kota Child Welfare Committee (CWC), took the kids to their house recently and searched it.
Om Birla and CWC chairman Harish Gurubakshani met the kids at the child home.
Birla said, “I will raise the issue (exchange of the old notes) before the Union government; I will request for relaxation of rules for the exchange. The exchanged notes can be kept as a fixed deposit in name of the orphaned girl.”
The government had set December 30 deadline for depos- iting junked bills in banks when Modi announced recall of 500and 1000-rupee notes on November 8.
Resident Indian citizens, who were abroad from November 9 to December 30, can exchange their defunct notes up to March 31, and NRI citizens, who were abroad during this period, can avail of this facility up to June 30, but only at RBI offices.
“I will raise financial assistance from the public for the education of the kids if the old notes are not exchanged,” the MP said.
The Child Welfare Commit-teechairman has corresponded with the PMO and the union finance ministry about exchange of the demonetised notes -- 22 of ₹1000 denomination and 149 notes of ₹500.
I will raise the issue (exchange of the old notes) before the Union government; I will request for relaxation of rules for the exchange. The exchanged notes can be kept as a fixed deposit in name of the orphaned girl OM BIRLA, Kota MP