Shopkeepers refuse to accept Rs 1, Rs 2 coins in parts of Kashmir

People from many parts of South Kashmir are complaining that shopkeepers and traders aren’t accepting Rs 1, Rs 2 coins, a claim rightly rejected by the J&K Bank authorities.

People from different parts of Kashmir told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that whenever they visit shops to buy matchboxes or other items, shopkeepers aren’t accepting the coins of Rs 1 and Rs 2. They even complained that cleaners of passenger vehicles aren’t also accepting the coins.

They said for the last several months, many people including shopkeepers, traders and the general public are not accepting one rupee, two rupee coins citing the reason that others are not taking it too. It has become like an unauthorised ban on small coins by some locals which is continuing especially in Southern Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts, they said.

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“I have hundreds of such coins, where should I spend them when no one is taking them from me. That is why I have stopped accepting them too,” Aqib Ahad, a local shopkeeper from Qazigund, said.

People demanded that the government must issue directions in this regard and action must be taken against the people who aren’t accepting the coins. They demanded that the government must clear the confusion at an earliest.

An official from administration told KNO that it is an offence to refuse the currencies issued by the government and action will be taken against those who are not accepting such coins.

Taking to KNO, Managing Director and CEO J&K Bank, Baldev Prakash said all our Bank branches are accepting one and two rupee coins and people can deposit them in any bank branch. On being asked why some people are not accepting it, he said it is responsibility of administration to take call on this—(KNO)