While coins are now as much plenty in circulation that many vendors give coins easily, yet most retailers have made it a practice to give candies and chocolates in place of coins even though they have sufficient coins in their cash-boxes. It is a noble way to earn extra profit through such forced sale of unwanted items devised in the days when coins were in scarcity.
Central government should make a planned strategy whereby coin-bags of Rs 1 and Rs 5 may be always available in all bank-branches having facility to hold coin-bags. Since coins of Rs 10 denominations have not attained popularity, further minting in this denomination may be stopped for time-being. Instead smaller-sized plastic notes as promised quite a few years ago in Lok Sabha may be issued in Rs 10 denominations. Stress may be given on minting coins only in denominations of Rs 1 and Rs 5, stopping minting of Rs 2 coins also because presently with Rs 2 coins in plenty as compared to Rs 1 coins; consumers have to leave Rs 1 balance with shopkeepers or to accept candy because of poor availability Rs 1 coin. Rs 1 coin can fulfil purpose of Rs 2 coins as well because of less weight and multiplicity of payment-options. With all these steps taken, forcing unwanted items in place of coins can be made offence under law.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
