Confused bankers flout RBI norms, ink wrong finger

Public lining up to exchange the now-redundant Rs 500 and 1,000 currencies remain unclear on the inking process, as some banks applied the indelible ink on the left index finger instead of the right.

By :  migrator
Update: 2016-11-17 16:09 GMT
Despite instructions from RBI, several bank officials were seen inking customers on the wrong finger

Chennai

The inking process in the city started off in a haphazard manner on Wednesday in the city, as people were inked on different fingers. Some were inked on the left hand, causing confusion among the public. However, RBI guidelines mandate application of the indelible ink only on the right index finger by the cashier or another official designated by the bank for the task. By and large, only a small percentage of the banks in the city had started the inking process, while a large number were yet to receive the ink, supplied by the Indian Banks Association along with RBI. The manager of a public-sector bank in Egmore said the ink bottles were expected but hadn’t arrived yet. “We didn’t want to use any other ink other than that supplied by the RBI, for the fear of the repercussions later if it caused any skin problems in the customers,” said the official. 

Many of the private banks had received the ink bottles only at the end of the business day. The manager of a private bank in Mylapore said, “We received the bottle only afternoon. From November 18, we will follow the inking process for all customers, exchanging the old notes.” The inking process has caused many doubts among the public, who are unclear on how the system functioned. The manager of a private bank in Kilpauk explained that the system is much like the voting process. 

“A person can exchange the old notes only once in one bank, to have some cash in hand. The rest of the old notes can be deposited in their bank/Jan Dhan Yojana accounts and withdrawn accordingly, as per normal procedures. Those who don’t have bank accounts should open one and use it for their banking needs,” clarified the official. Manimaran R, General Manager, Corporate Office, Indian Bank, said that 50 per cent of their branches have started inking customers. “We received the ink from RBI and the inking process has been carried out. We have communicated to our employees on the procedure — only the right index finger can be inked. From November 18, all our branches will be following the inking process,” said the official.

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