From the last few months, Durgapurians are facing a problem that ₹1 and ₹10 coins are not being accepted in Buses and Autos. This problem started from a rumor that spread regarding the fake ₹10 coin in circulation. Thanks to Whatsapp that this rumor spread like wildfire. Though the ₹10 coin rumor is cleared and RBI have mentioned several times that there are no such fake coins but still, some people are not ready to accept it.
RBI Principal Adviser Alpana Killiwala in a press conference said, “The Reserve Bank of India advise members of the public not to give credence to such ill-informed notions and ignore them and continue to accept these (Rs 10) coins as legal tender in all their transactions without any hesitation,”
“Some ill-informed or uninformed persons who suspect the genuineness of such coins are creating doubts in the minds of ordinary people including traders, shopkeepers, Bus conductors, auto drivers, etc, thus impeding the circulation of these coins in certain pockets of the country and causing avoidable confusion, Killiwala said.
Though in most of the cities the confusion is cleared and the coin is in circulation. Still, in Durgapur and some other cities, Bus and auto drivers are not accepting it.
A Durgapurian, Anirudhya Roy said, “Bus conductors and Auto drivers are not ready to accept ₹1 and ₹10 coins which are causing a lot of problems. On being asked they are saying that as others are not accepting, they will also not accept. It’s slowly growing into a major problem.”
According to RBI, “The Rs 10 coin is a national currency and no one has the right to refuse it as the government of India promises to pay the value of the currency to the bearer”. According to RBI rules, “those who refuse to accept the Indian currency can be liable for action under section 124A (sedition) of IPC”.
So the fact of not accepting the coin is baseless. Also, some people have added that ₹1 coins are also banned and do not hold any value. This is also not right. All over India, both the coins are in full circulation and both have a legal tender.
This is just to make everyone aware that no such coin is legally banned or not in circulation. Both of the coins have a complete legal tender. So next time if someone refuses to accept it, can be liable for action under section 124A (sedition) of IPC.