RBI prints faulty notes worth Rs30,000 crore

The Nashik unit of Indian Security Press (ISP), owned by state-run Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India (SPMCIL), has reportedly burnt 30 crore faulty notes with a denomination of Rs1,000.

This has led to the suspension of five employees, including a manager and deputy manager at SPMCIL's Hoshangabad (Madhya Pradesh) unit. According to reports, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through the Government of India (GoI) had placed an order with the Press to print 50 crore notes of Rs1,000 denomination. After receiving paper with security features from SPMCIL's paper mill, the ISP printed about 30 crore notes. The RBI, after receiving these notes from the ISP, distributed about 20 crore notes to several banks.

However, some people complained to RBI about the missing security thread in these new notes. Few also pointed out the upside down watermark image of Mahatma Gandhi on these notes. The Rs1,000 currency notes have a readable, windowed security thread, alternately visible on the obverse with the inscriptions ' Bharat' (in Hindi), ' 1000' and ' RBI', but totally embedded on the reverse. The RBI then reported this matter to SMPMCIL, whose chairman and managing director MS Rana, set up a three-member enquiry committee.

The Committee headed by TR Gowda, former general manager of ISP's Nashik unit and current in-charge of Hoshangabad unit of SPMCIL, submitted its report. This was followed by suspension of two officials, SR Vajpayee, manager and Ravindra Singh, deputy manager of SMPCIL's Hoshangabad unit. Three employees from ISP, Nashik were also suspended while six supervisors were issued a show cause notice, media reports say.

However, Press Majdoor Sangh, the employee union at Nashik, went on an agitation. On Tuesday, the union, detained Sandeep Jain, general manager of ISP, Nashik for the entire day. According to the union, no employee from Nashik is responsible for printing of faulty currency notes, as there was a fault with the security paper itself. However, the action was taken at the Finance Ministry-level and not at ISP-level, Jain had reportedly told the union leaders.

In an email reply, an official from RBI, said the matter relates with CNP Nashik, which can provide the answers. The CNP NAshik is not under the central bank's control, the official added. RBI along with the Indian government is responsible for the design, production and overall management of the nation's currency, with an aim to ensure adequate supply of clean and genuine notes. There are four printing presses that print and supply currency notes to the RBI. These are located at Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, Nashik in Maharashtra, Mysore in Karnataka, and Salboni in West Bengal. The Dewas and Nashik units are owned by SPMCIL, while Mysore and Salboni presses are owned by Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the RBI. The Indian government mints coins, which are distributed by the RBI.