Letters: Let not all suffer

SC should prevail upon government to extend date for exchange of banned notes to September

Apropos the report, “Why no category for those who couldn’t exchange notes by Dec 30, asks SC” (March 21), many people failed to deposit the demonetised notes within the deadline.
 
A large number of people had taken for granted that the government would extend the deadline by a few months. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had publicly announced that banned notes would be accepted at Reserve Bank of India offices till March 31, 2017.
 
The ordinance promulgated by the central government on December 30, 2016, allowed only resident Indians and non-resident Indians, who were not in India between November 8 and December 30, 2016, to exchange the scrapped notes till March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2017, respectively.
 
The Supreme Court has asked the government to explain why it did not offer people the option of depositing the demonetised notes beyond December 30, 2016. It is wrong to let honest people suffer financial loss. Even if a few of those, who have amassed black money, are not punished, honest and innocent people with hard-earned money should not be made to suffer.
 
It is to Modi’s credit that the Bharatiya Janata Party won the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections with a big margin despite a sustained campaign against demonetisation, which caused immense suffering to the common man. Modi should respond positively to the public interest litigation.
 
Despite the ordinance, the Supreme Court should prevail upon the government to extend the date for exchange of banned notes to September. To avoid inconvenience to people, this facility should be available at all bank branches and the Reserve Bank of India. Ramanath Nakhate   Mumbai

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to: 

The Editor, Business Standard

Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg 

New Delhi 110 002 

Fax: (011) 23720201  ·  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in

All letters must have a postal address and telephone number