Govt to probe suspected hoarding of Rs 2,000 notes, cash withdrawal spike

The government has launched a probe into suspected hoarding of Rs 2,000 notes and a spike in cash withdrawals over the last fortnight.

“The Department of Revenue will establish the reason for possible hoarding of Rs 2,000 notes. There has also been a sudden increase in cash withdrawals, especially in the last 15 days, which will also be looked into,” a senior finance ministry official said on Wednesday, on condition of anonymity.

Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg had said on Tuesday the government had observed a trend that Rs 2,000 notes were not returning to the banking system. “You can assume this is one note that is most suitable to hoard,” he told reporters.

Also, the finance ministry had told the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Tuesday around 40 per cent of the 221,700 ATMs across the country were non-functional as of April 16. The ministry held meetings with top officials of all banks through video conferencing on Tuesday and Wednesday and directed them to fill up ATMs expeditiously. “By Thursday, around 80 per cent of the ATMs will be functioning across the country; banks have been told to ensure that. The recalibration exercise, to support the new design of notes, will be ramped up, though not all ATMs require recalibration,” another official aware of the developments said.

A committee comprising the economic affairs secretary, financial services secretary and RBI deputy governor, formed last week, has been tasked with planning and coordinating the printing and supply of currency.