₹10 coin not accepted by vendors, unique protest by youth in Silchar

January 22: When it comes to coinage of Rs.10, Silchar in particular seems to display a peculiar character. Neither the business establishments, nor the vendors, vegetable or fish markets, rickshaw pullers or auto-rickshaw seems to accept the 10 rupees coin as legal tender. The problem gets magnified with outsiders who visit Silchar and are suddenly refused by vendors to accept these coins.

In such an instance, a youth, Samrat Dhar who hails from Katigorah came to Silchar town for some work on Monday. However, when he tried to purchase some commodity, shopkeepers expressed their inability to accept the 10 rupees coin. He tried his luck in many shops and vehicles, but everywhere he was greeted with a big ‘No’.

Finally, Samrat resorted to an unique form of protest. He got a message printed on a A4 size paper and held it in his hand standing on the main road at Silchar near Ukilpatty point. The placard read, “Why Rs.10 coins are not accepted in Silchar town?”

Though no passers by stopped to stand in support of Samrat, yet all could relate with the problem highlighted by him in Silchar. This is indeed very curious. Let’s have a glance of what the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has to say in this regard.

In January 2019, the Reserve Bank of India repeated yet again that Rs 10 coins are legal. All 14 types of the Rs 10 coin issued so far are legal, the RBI has confirmed. RBI in a press release states, “It has come to the notice of the Reserve Bank that in certain places there is reluctance on part of traders and members of public to accept ₹ 10 coins due to suspicion about their genuineness. So far the Reserve Bank has issued ₹ 10 coins in 14 designs and the public has been informed of their distinctive features through Press Releases (list appended). All these coins are legal tender and can be accepted for transactions.”