The government is expected to amend the Reserve Bank of India Act to make old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 invalid and reference to this effect would be made in the upcoming Union Budget. As part of the demonetisation process, there would be a law to cancel old high-value currency notes and it can be made effective from March 31.
The law to annul the validity came ahead in 1978, when the currency was banned and this time the government acted under RBI Act Section 26 (2). According to the section, the central government could declare that a banknote will no longer be used as legal tender by a notification in the Gazette of India.
Due to cancellation of old high-value currency notes, higher dividend from the RBI may not be applicable until the RBI law is amended. The central government expects Rs 13 lakh crore to come back in the banking system. Banks have reportedly received Rs 12 lakh crore demonetised currency notes as against Rs 15.5 lakh crore.
Recently, RBI Governor Urjit Patel had said that it would not have any automatic impact on the central bank’s balance sheet under the existing law. He also said that the withdrawal of legal tender characteristics status does not extinguish any of RBI’s balance sheet, therefore, there is no implication on the balance sheet as of now.
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