After residents, NRIs and People of India Origin (PIO) are now braving long queues to exchange the old Rs 500/1,000 notes at 5 designated RBI branches across the country but because of stringent conditions several of them have had to return disappointed
People show notes they could not exchange at the RBI at Patna. File picture for representation
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New Delhi: After residents, NRIs and People of India Origin (PIO) are now braving long queues to exchange the old Rs 500/1,000 notes at 5 designated RBI branches across the country but because of stringent conditions several of them have had to return disappointed.
Tempers ran high outside the central bank branches as people coming from long distances were denied entry by guards on the grounds that they were not carrying the requisite documents. Many complained that they were not allowed to speak to officials.
“Though I have a foreign passport, I still have roots in India. Our family comes to India every year. We have few Indian currency notes and we want to exchange them but we are not allowed to enter RBI. Mr Prime Minister are we supposed to burn Indian currency that we have?,” said Ritu Diwan, an agitated US national. Another US national Dharamveer said, “Any PIO who regularly visits India would easily have Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh worth Indian currency and I challenge the government to prove this as black money and forfeit it from us.”
There are reports of NRIs throwing defunct Indian currency at the gate of RBI as a mark of protest.