After several reminders, Maha govt. fails to pay salary of over 40,000 home guards

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January 21, 2020

The Directorial General of Home Guard office has failed to give salary to more than 40,000 thousand jawans since September 2019. This is the very force that gives a helping hand to policemen on several occasions like heavy rainfall, floods, elections and festivals.

According to an official, these home guards are now forced to take a loan or borrow money from other people to run their houses. After serving several reminders from the DG home guard’s office to the state government, the latter is yet to take any action on it.

Every year, the state government issues Rs 100 crore to pay honorarium to the home guards. Here it may be noted that the government had increased the wages on August 2019. Hence, this year the honorarium was raised from Rs 300 to Rs 670 per day. An official said that the state government which already owes Rs 137.83 crore to the home guards and at the end of the financial year 2019-2020 the government will have to pay another Rs 140.55 crore.

Elaborating on the same, an official stated, “The proposal to raise the honorarium was sent to the state government by DG Sanjay Pandey. And after the government’s approval, the honorarium of our force was increased from July 2019. But, unfortunately the government has failed to provide the raised honorarium.”

Next step of CAA is a promise of holding a nationwide NRC

By

Vaidehi Taman

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January 20, 2020

A bandh has been called by Prakash Ambedkar to protest against CAA and NRC in Maharashtra. We don’t know how much this bandh is going to be supported, but ever since the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, one is witnessing protests across the length and breadth of the country. And post the events at Jamia Millia, the agitation has only intensified and has come to involve the student community in large numbers. How does one explain this spurt in the protest?

Five factors need to be budgeted into any analysis of recent developments. The protests have resulted in thousands of arrests and 27 deaths as of 27 December 2019. Two 17-year old minors were among those reported to have been killed due to police firing live ammunition on protesters in Assam. On 19 December, the police issued a complete ban on protests in several parts of India. As a result of defying the ban, thousands of protesters were detained. So far, at least eight states have announced that they will not implement the Act or the National Register of Citizens (NRC). While one state and two union territories have refused to implement the CAA, three other states have only declined the implementation of the NRC. However, the Union Home Ministry said that states lack the legal power to stop the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act.

The Citizenship Amendment Act protests are a series of ongoing protests in India which was enacted into law on 12 December 2019 and against proposals to enact a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC). The protests that began in Assam slowly spread to Delhi, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura on 4 December 2019. In a few days, the protests spread across India though the concerns of the protesters vary. The Amendment benefits Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian and Parsi refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who sought refuge in India before 2015; the Amendment leaves out Muslims and others from these countries as well as refugee Sri Lankan Tamils in India, Rohingyas from Myanmar and Buddhist refugees from Tibet. The proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be an official record of all legal citizens of India where individuals would have to provide a prescribed set of documents issued before a specified cutoff date for inclusion in the register. The exercise of the NRC has already been carried out in the state of Assam. Those who fail to qualify for the NRC will be able to avail the benefits of the CAA if they claim to be religious minorities fleeing persecution from the listed countries.

Protesters throughout India see the new law as discriminating against Muslims and as unconstitutional. They are demanding the amendment to be scrapped and the NRC to be not implemented nationwide. They are concerned about Muslim citizens of India that they will be rendered stateless and put into detention camps by the proposed nationwide NRC in combination with the CAA. They are also concerned that all citizens will be affected by the bureaucratic exercise of the NRC where they will have to prove their citizenship for inclusion in the registry. The protesters have raised voices against authoritarianism, the police crackdown in other universities and suppression of protests.

The CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) have evoked much stronger reactions than the decision on revoking Article 370 or the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram temple-Babri Masjid dispute. The CAA and NRC touch a much wider segment of society. While in many parts of the country, the debate is on whether the basis of citizenship is religion, in the North-East it is being looked at from the insider-outsider lens. In the North-East, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faces challenges from both its allies and among segments from within the party. Meanwhile, when the Citizenship Bill was being debated in the two Houses, the Prime Minister was not present. It was left to the home minister to defend the stand of the government in both Houses. The equating of partition with religion could well have been a tactical error. The debate in the two Houses heightened tensions and could have well caused the unrest. The involvement of the youth in the agitations got heightened after the developments in Jamia Millia University. Police action always invites a reaction. Finally, from the protests one notices on the street may not necessarily be led or inspired only by the parties opposed to the ruling coalition. Those who have been bitter critics of the Congress and the Left have been part of the agitation especially in the North-East and in premier state-funded research institutions. One would be underestimating the intensity of the protests by laying it at the door of select political forces.

NRC (National Register of Citizens) was an exercise solely for Assam to identify indigenous people and those who would have proof of entry into the state/country latest by midnight of 24th of March, 1971. The state of Assam decided to increase the ambit of relevance to people who for all intents and purposes were believed to be localized enough if they had voted in an election or two or could prove positively a direct descendant connection with somebody who had passed the 1951 NRC test. CAB and NRC prove to be disasters like Demonetisation, this time, the supporters can dump all the blame on rulers of India. This government blamed Nehru for failing to integrate Kashmir with the rest of India – now the supporters of Nehru can blame this government for doing exactly the same with the North Eastern states of India with the Inner Line Permits. At the end of the day, all of this friction is happening just to grab political power in the state of West Bengal. Where most saw a defeat of all purposes, a few special ones saw an opportunity. Thus was brought in the Citizen Amendment Bill 2019, an old tool, with a renewed purpose primarily to ensure that all the Hindus identified as Aliens by the process of NRC in Assam get Indian Citizenship. Now you know the actual reason why CAB welcomes Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Sikhs, Christians into the Indian fold but does not mention the Muslims. The next move on this political chess board is the ‘promise’ of holding a nationwide NRC. Please do not get excited, it won’t be executed in real – it is just a long carrot to stir the political pot in West Bengal.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Prakash Ambedkar calls for ‘Bandh’: Protesting against CAA and NRC

By

Afternoon Voice

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January 20, 2020

Amid unrest in various parts of India protesting against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), now Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has called for a ‘bandh’ in Maharashtra on January 24. The opposition is keeping no stone unturned while opposing CAA-NRC. The BJP leaders are breaking rules and inviting law and order situations. Section 144 has been imposed in Madhya Pradesh but by BJP workers led by Dilbar Singh Yadav, district unit President who took out a march anyway.

In Mumbai this ‘bandh’ has been called keeping in mind the current economic crisis and to register opposition against the CAA and NRC. Ambedkar further informed that along with the issue of CAA and NRC, the issues related to the economy should be put up as well. Earlier, Ambedkar had said that the CAA and NRC will be harmful to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Adivasis. After the passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), the protests against the act erupted on a large scale and is still undergoing. The constitutionalists say that the new Citizenship Act is discriminatory against the Muslim community.

In Madhya Pradesh, violence broke out at a pro-citizenship law rally in which the local police clashed with the supporters of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) who were trying to take out a march for which permission had been denied. In a widely-circulated video, District Collector Nidhi Nivedita is seen slapping a BJP worker after protesters manhandled two of her junior colleagues – Priya Verma and Shruti Agrawal – and a few police officers. At least three people were injured as police resorted to a lathi-charge to control the situation.

In Delhi, people have been protesting at Shaheen Bagh which has become the epicenter of the anti-CAA agitation in the national capital for over 30 days. Hundreds, including women and children took out a massive anti-CAA march from the gates of Jamia Millia Islamia University to Shaheen Bagh on Sunday evening as the chorus to demand repealing of the amended Citizenship Act grew louder in Delhi. The march was high on symbolism with some locals dressed up as Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Three men assumed the identity of martyred revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, one of them in prison clothes and tied in chains.

Those who are protesting against CAA-NRC and those who have assembled in favour of the same bill, both have created unrest in the nation. Taking the advantage of the situation, Prakash Ambedkar has called for a Bandh too.

Bihar man held by Mumbai police for duping people with fake UltraTech Cement website

By

Web Team

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January 20, 2020

Mumbai police arrested a 20-year-old man from Bihar for allegedly creating a fake website of UltraTech Cement Limited and duping people, police said on Monday.

According to the police, the accused Rohit Kumar Balram Prasad was arrested on Wednesday from Nalanda in Bihar by a team of MIDC police station after an official of UltraTech Cement filed a complaint.

An official said, “Prasad had made a website that resembled the official one of cement firm UltraTech. He would take orders from customers who thought they were dealing with the company. After the customers paid up, he would stop communication.”

“The accused was using the company trademark as well. We are likely to arrest more people in the case. Prasad was brought to Mumbai on transit remand from Bihar,” said Zone X Deputy Commissioner Ankit Goyal.

Police have booked the accused under sections 482 (using false property mark), 483 (counterfeiting a property mark used by another), 419 (cheating by personation) among others of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act.

Soon selling goods in Western Railway AC local train to be legal

By

Hema Singh

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January 20, 2020

As there is news that Western Railway is planning an onboard shopping service inside AC local train on the lines of in-flight shopping in planes, soon Mumbaikars will be able to shop inside a Churchgate-Virar AC local.

According to a report, the Western Railway would appoint salespersons who will go from seat to seat carrying the trolleys on board the AC local and request passengers if they would intend to buy any of the wares they are selling. The main point is that they will not scream or influence passengers to buy any product. The trolleys that will be 3 feet tall and a foot wide will have four salesmen carrying two trolleys each inside the train. Also, these salespersons will be given uniforms and ID cards. The vendors will be allowed to sell cosmetics, health-related products, laptop and mobile accessories, small toys and stationery on MRP.

Apart from this, the WR will also provide various kinds of payment modes for the travelers- like the passengers can buy goods using any mode of payment like debit cards or UPI payment applications like- Google Pay and Paytm.

As per the current scenario, the vendors and hawkers who sell wares and goods right from food items, jewellery inside local trains is illegal. However, this will be the first time that suburban local trains will generate non-fare revenue. Currently, the WR operates only one AC train. Reportedly, four more trains are expected to be brought into service soon.

Let us not hurt the feelings of Sai devotees

By

Vinod Dixit

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January 20, 2020

Revered by thousands of Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Zoroastrian devotees, Shirdi Sai Baba was known to be an Indian saint, Satguru, fakir (vowed to poverty and devoted to God), and spiritual master. Recently residents of Maharashtra’s Shirdi, believed to be the birthplace of Sai Baba and had observed a bandh in response to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s acknowledgement that Pathri in Parbhani was where the 19th century spiritual leader was born. Thackeray had announced a grant of Rs 100 crore for the development of Pathri. Thackeray’s move to develop Pathri as a pilgrimage destination has also caused a political row, with the BJP questioning the timing of the announcement.

Sai Baba is unfathomable and beyond conception and above caste creed religion and races Sathguru belongs to entire universe and mankind. The Shirdi temple is the third largest temple in the country in terms of both devotees and financial donations. While Sai Baba’s birth year was not recorded, it is assumed he was born near the year 1838. He took samadhi in 1918. Baba often lived in a Mosque, and his physical body was cremated in a temple. He came to village Shirdi in Maharastra at age of 16 for the first time and spent about three years there. After this, for a period of one year Baba left Shirdi and very little was known about him during that period. In the year of 1858, Baba returned to Shirdi permanently. For about five years of time Baba took his accommodation under the neem tree and very often he used to wander in the jungle near Shirdi.

It is said that Sai Baba is believed to have arrived in Shirdi as a nameless entity. His head was tied in a turban and he sported a beard. He wore long, loose robes. He looked like the quintessential faqir. Baba stayed in the forest on the outskirts of a village and spent most of his time meditating. Liking the simple but saintly figure, the villagers provided the Baba with food for sustenance. Baba was most likely born to Brahmin parents within a few hundred miles of Shirdi. Some have reported that he came from the village of Pathri. When he arrived in Shirdi, at the age of 16, where he led an ascetic life, Baba began meditating under a neem tree and teaching local villagers.

Sai Baba’s teachings say one God to govern all. He was occasionally heard chanting, “Allah Malik” or God is King. He taught about love and forgiveness, charity, selfless service, inner peace, and how to maintain an un-shattered devotion to God. Shirdi, the obscure village in Maharashtra has become a pilgrimage destination much as Bethlehem, Jerusalem or Varanasi. With over 25,000 pilgrims thronging in here each day the number of pilgrims climb to over a hundred thousand on holidays and festival days. Would it be justifiable for pilgrimage to spent 100 crores in development of Pathri with thousands of devotees arriving in Shirdi everyday? Does it make any sense in creating controversy over the birthplace of Sai Baba, the 19th century spiritual figure and when the Shirdi temple attracts lakhs of devotees from all over India every year? Let us not hurt the feelings of Sai devotees.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 20 January, 2020

By

Web Team

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January 20, 2020

1Atrocities against women should not be tolerated

Dowry related death in the 21th Century is a shame and stigma on our nation and every citizen should raise his voice against such evil still prevalent in our society. Chartered Accountant Manisha Shelke hanging herself to death after constant torture from her in-laws is sad and a shame on our society that fairer sex is still tortured for dowry in our country even in the 21st century. Pervert mindset I suppose as well as economic slowdown in our country where even the bread earner of the family trying to depend on the better halfs income for survival.

Fairer sex deserves respect and atrocities against women should not be tolerated. People involved in dowry deaths should not be spared but hanged. Many cases of dowry go unreported and women should be encouraged to come out in the open and there should be a special investigation cell to deal with cases of dowry for speedier action as well as to protect the women.

S.N.Kabra

2Hang Nirbhaya convicts

By not hanging the Nirbhaya rapists, the country is sending a wrong image to the world. These four rapists should be hanged in full public view and the execution should be shown live on TV on all the channels so that other rapists may learn a lesson from this one. Mukesh Singh, one of the rapists’ lawyer has a criminal background. He is trying to tell the world that his client is innocent and has not raped Nirbhaya in December 2012.

Jubel D’Cruz

3BEST bus-depots in Mumbai seized with problem of plenty of coins

Coins worth more than rupees twelve crores are lying packed in gunny bags under surveillance in 27 bus-deposits of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking in Mumbai with banks refusing to deposit these coins. Not only cost is being incurred on storage and surveillance of coin-bags, but also there is an interest-loss of more than rupees 31000 daily because of cash in form of coins refused by banks to be deposited in BEST accounts.

This is the problem everywhere including small shopkeepers where there are reports of disposal of coin-quantity with deduction of heavy handling charges. This is in contrast with situation in earlier years when there used to be premium on coins with shopkeepers giving unwanted items like candies and chocolates in place of coins. Reserve Bank of India is aware of the problem of plenty of coins with many banks including SBI, HDFC, PNB and ICICI banks refusing to accept coins as deposit in bank-accounts.

Bigger problem is of most unpopular denomination of 10-rupee coins. Rather than discontinuing minting of 10-rupee coins, 20-rupee coins are now to be forced on public. System should be that both coins and currency-notes in same denominations must not be in circulation. As such printing of one-rupee note should be discontinued. RBI and Central Government should take urgent steps to introduce plastic currency with longer life in low-denomination notes of rupees ten and twenty as was announced long back by the then Union Minister of Finance Namo Narain Meena. Any further minting of coins in denominations of rupees 10 and 20 should be discontinued. Surplus mint-capacity should be utilised by seeking export-orders for coins of other countries, and running mints in one shift. Coin-bags should be in uniform capacities of 100 and 2000 coins to be available at all bank-branches respectively for consumers and bulk-users.

Madhu Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Rollback on BJP projects continues; MVA govt. plans resolution on CAA

By

Hema Singh

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January 19, 2020

Ever since the Uddhav Thackeray led government Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) came into power, it has either reversed or stayed several project like the latest Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) or other previous projects like Bullet train, Jalyukt Shivar, Aarey metro car shed, transfer of salary account of the Police department from the Axis Bank to a public sector bank among others that were introduced by the previous BJP-led government.

Now, the MVA government is planning to bring out a resolution on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the state assembly. With this, Maharashtra will become the third state after Kerala and Punjab to request withdrawal of CAA from the country.

Let us look into the projects initiated by the earlier government:

Jalyukt Shivar

The Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan was started in December 2014 by the Fadnavis government to make 5,000 villages completely drought-free. The project involved deepening and widening of streams construction of cement and earthern stop dam, work on nullahs and digging of farm ponds. However, the MVA government put a stop on this project by not releasing funds for Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar districts.

Aarey Metro Car Shed

After taking oath as CM of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray on November 29 announced a stay to construction of metro crashed in Aarey Colony. This project was introduced by the BJP while the Mumbai civic body’s tree authority granted permission to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) to cut down over 2,700 trees, often referred to as ‘city’s lungs’, in order to build a car shed for the Metro. Environmental activists and citizen groups protested against the felling of trees in Aarey colony. As many as 29 activists were arrested and were later released on bail. Following an urgent hearing the Supreme Court has imposed a stay on further felling of trees.

Bullet Train

After putting stay on the Aarey car shed, the MVA government decided to review the
Rs 1.1 lakh crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project which was another flagship project of the previous government. Earlier, Uddhav had alleged that the bullet train project would benefit Gujarat more at the cost of money from Maharashtra. The state share in the expenses for building the bullet train project was projected around 25 per cent of the total project cost.

Public To Private Bank

Recently Uddhav Thackeray decided to transfer the salary accounts of the police department from the Axis Bank to a public sector bank. During the tenure of the Fadnavis government, the Chief Minister had transferred the police department’s salary accounts from SBI to the Axis Bank. This step of Fadnavis had stirred a controversy after Mohnish Jabalpure a Nagpur-based activist who had filed a petition with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that the shift was motivated by Fadnavis for personal reasons as his wife Amruta holds a top position at the bank.

Last but not the least, the MVA government, has opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and would soon take a call on the controversial Act. It is reported that after Kerala and Punjab, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government is also mulling over a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 in Maharashtra Assembly.

A movement of the people, by the people, for the people

By

Faheem Usmani Qasmi

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January 19, 2020

This is the beauty of a democracy that when people’s voice is not responded, they give their voice to each other and establish togetherness. What India has witnessed, from the college and university campuses to the buzzing streets, for the last one month is unparalleled in Indian history. The ongoing protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and NRC continue to grow despite the TRP-hungry media focused a lot on shifting it to a mere communal issue. The sheer diversity of the ways in which people are expressing themselves against the government’s divisive policies is an evident proof that they are united and very serious for their fundamental and constitutional values.

The anti-CAA movement is being believed the largest after the India Against Corruption movement (IAC), but while the focus of IAC was too narrow, the ongoing protests are about the renewal of the promise of India to its people. The most attractive aspect in these protests is the sight of the preamble of the constitution of India. The Constitution is at the tip of every participant’s tongue in this movement which is a good sign for the future of the country that people are struggling against the coercive powers to secure freedom, equality, justice and fraternity.

This movement has two very distinct features: The youth mainly students, cutting off their all religious boundaries and social backgrounds, are performing a vital role for a society – always trapped in its divisive politics – and considering their responsibilities for each other. The second feature is that, in spite of all efforts to make this movement communal one, the efforts to persuade others to join the movement have met with a great success. This is the reason that the Central Government has stepped back for now on the NRC exercise clearly in response to civil protests that have shown no signs of giving over instead growing bigger and wider all across the country and taking a shape of people’s movement covering large swathes of urban India.

The brutal crackdown of Delhi police at JMI students also contributed much to these protests that set off a cascading reaction beyond anyone’s expectation and certainly beyond the control of a government that arrogantly believed that the people acquiesce in its every unjust decision.

The most beautiful angle of this movement is that people themselves have taken the lead for this protests as they usually wait for the leadership in other matters. But in this movement whether in college assemblies or in the protest marches they raised their voice themselves loud enough to be heard above the din of the city as in the case of Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, simply assembling to show off their strength.

This can be said just an irony for the BJP. All these years BJP and its right wings-allies had used the flag as a weapon against Muslims and secular Indians. The BJP volunteers took out tiranga yatras ostensibly to instill feelings of pride in the country but in actual fact to taunt Muslims and liberal Indians.

But to utter surprise to the Narendra Modi government, four years later, his government has been rendered speechless by the sight of thousands of flags flying in all corners of India. The BJP sued the flag as a threat, as an instrument of coercion, as a test of loyalty for alleged ‘anti-national’, and finally as a symbol of the PM’s New India.

Shaheen Bagh has become the hallmark for this movement. The women come here, day and night in a make-shift pandal waving the tricolor and energetically singing along patriotic songs. The flag can be seen imprinted on the cheeks of little children as also on the wrists of their mothers. Many of them here are not so educated but still they are fighting for what is at stake.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 19 January, 2020

By

Web Team

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January 19, 2020

1Sania back with a bang

Kudos and a hearty applause to our Indian tennis star the one and only Sania Mirza for winning the WTA Hobart International doubles title along with her on-court partner Nadiia Kichenok. Sania’s title-winning return is an inspiration to all the mothers who wish to mark a niche of their own in their field of interest. Her win also excellently proves that age is no bar and anyone who has that sheer determination and will power can definitely strive and achieve what they aim. Taking care of her child and getting along with family life Sania continued working hard to be fit and pursue her passion-tennis.
Though the champion had to keep away from tennis for some time it seems she had taken a strong decision to be back in her favourite sport and the way she returned with a big bang – winning the popular WTA Hobart International doubles title along with her on-court partner Nadiia Kichenok Sania has proved that anything is possible.
This is Sania’s 42^nd WTA doubles title and first since Brisbane International trophy triumph in 2017 that came in the company of her then American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Credit also goes to Sania’s husband and her family whose support and encouragement has paved way for the tennis star to return to the court boldly, beautifully and boisterously and ready to begin another innings much to the enjoyment and enthusiasm of millions of tennis lovers who were eagerly waiting for their stars return.

M Pradyu

2Milk price raise by Maha Vikas Aghadi government

With consumer price index on the rise, another hike in milk prices, Rs.2 per litre, is imminent in Mumbai. All along we were blaming the then ruling BJP government. Now the new Maharashtra Government made two increase in milk price and it is not going to be a welcome one. It is time to agitate and get a roll back on milk prices. Already people are facing price increase in vegetables and fruits and add to that the basic necessity milk too has become dearer. It is high time prices of commodities should be stabilised instead of going up and up.

Calicut Krishnan Subbu

3Who is Indira Jaisingh to give suggestion to Nirbhaya’s parents?

Senior lawyer, Indira Jaisingh has asked Nirbhaya’s parents Badrinath and Asha Devi to forgive their daughter’s killers just as Sonia Gandhi has forgiven her husband’s killer (Nalini). Who is Indira Jaisingh to tell Nirbhaya’s parents to do this? Does she have a daughter and if she has one, has she been gang-raped and killed? She should understand the trauma Nirbhaya’s parents have been going through after her daughter’s death. Justice should be given to Nirbhaya’s parents and the four convicts (Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Akshay Kumar Singh) should be hanged at the earliest so that Nirbhaya’s soul may rest in peace.

Jubel D’Cruz

4Share of fake Rs 2000 bank notes continuously increasing

Report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that in terms of value, 2,000-rupees banknotes comprised 56 per cent of all fake currency seized in India after demonetisation of old currency on November 8, 2016. Share of fake 2000-rupees bank-notes is continuously increasing with their share 53.3 percent in the year 2017 increased to 61.01 percent in the year 2018.

Instead of demonetisation, those having rupees-2000 currency notes may be asked to deposit these in bank-accounts and withdraw if needed immediately or as per need thus not affecting common people or having accounted cash in form of 2000-rupee notes. Simultaneously an amnesty-scheme in form of elephant-bonds can be announced for those having unaccounted cash in any denomination including of 2000-rupees notes.

Such a system coupled with other steps like fixing upper Income Tax limit at 30-percent as earlier, drastic GST-reforms with Input-Tax-Credit abolished in manufacturing and service sectors after having uniform GST-slabs at 10 and 30 percent (with additional slabs in multiples of 100 in place of cess for super-luxury items), fixing monthly cash-withdrawal for individuals at rupees 96000 to be subsequently reduced to rupees 48000 and central government bearing transaction-charges on use of credit-cards after reducing it to half-percent will also drastically reduce currency-circulation.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)