Demonetisation: MHA reviewing situation every 2 hours

With demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes creating a cash crunch, the Home Ministry is reviewing the situation across the country every two hours.

New Delhi, Nov 16: With demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes creating a cash crunch, the Home Ministry is reviewing the situation across the country every two hours and has advised the states to take all precautions.

The Home Ministry control room is in touch with control rooms of all states and Union Territories and taking inputs on the prevailing situation every two hours, a senior officials said.

So far no report of any violence has been reported from anywhere in the country but the Home Ministry has advised the states to be extremely vigil, the official said.

Three top officials of the Home Ministry are in regular touch with DGPs of all states and taking feedback from them. The Centre has already asked all states to ensure proper security at all banks, ATMs and vehicles transporting cash.

"We have conveyed to the states that if they require any assistance, we will provide that immediately," an official said.

The central government is expecting the financial situation to be normal in the next few days. Two separate advisories were sent to all states in this regard, the official said.

The Reserve Bank of India had said that currency printing presses are running at "full capacity" to sustain demand for new notes. Adequate stock of all currency notes has been kept ready at more than 4,000 locations across the country, and bank branches are linked to them for sourcing their requirements, RBI said.

Long queues were witnessed at bank branches and ATMs across the country to withdraw money and exchange demonetised Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes for new ones.

PTI