It's raining new notes, coins

AHMEDABAD: Gujaratis prefer to offer pooja on Dhanteras and Diwali with new notes and to gratify their need for new currency notes and coin, Dena Bank and Reserve Bank of India are running mobile vans across the city to distribute these.
On Wednesday, Dena Bank began distribution of new notes from their branch near Navrang School in Navrangpura and will continue till Thursday. Last year, Dena Bank took the initiative of distributing new currency through mobile vans in the city. Dena Bank distributed new notes worth Rs 2 crore last year.
"Most shopkeepers, vegetable vendors, small traders face difficulty in getting small change and notes. This initiative is to help their cause," said Suresh Patel, general manger, Dena Bank.
"Mobile vans are run in the festive season to benefit people as they spend more at this time of the year and we expect at least a 20% growth over last year," added Patel.
"We begin pooja on Dhanteras with new notes as it is considered auspicious and children are to get new Rs 10 notes as blessings during the festival," said 60-year-old Bharat Modi, a hardware trader.
On cue from Dena Bank, Reserve Bank of India sprung into this initiative on October 24 at Adalaj. RBI expects to distribute new currencies worth Rs 1.87 crore by Thursday. RBI distributed maximum currency in Vejalpur and Bopal.
According to sources, this initiative by RBI is to break the monopoly of money-changers in parts of the city including Manek Chowk, who offer new notes and currencies at a cost. "Many times these money-changers exploit traders and extract unnecessary amounts of new notes", said an official.
"Our vans are distributing currencies without any extra cost and the customer doesn't need to have a bank account in our bank to avail this facility," added Patel.
"Every day we need a lot of small notes to buy milk, vegetable, bus tickets and other stuff", said Pragya Patel who got two bundles of Rs 10 notes worth Rs 2,000.