To stop repeat money-exchangers thronging banks with invalid currency notes, banks have started applying indelible ink mark on the right index finger of customers in the select metro cities.

Repeat customers

The State Bank of India and few other banks in Delhi have started using indelible ink. As per a government statement, 11 branches of SBI are using the method to weed out customers queuing up repeatedly to exchange invalid currency notes.

As per Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for exchanging notes, bank branches and post offices concerned will use indelible ink before the new notes are given to the customer to allow the ink to dry up within a few seconds and prevent its removal.

The move comes amid reports of long queues and chaotic scenes at banks and ATMs across the country for past several days since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced withdrawal of old Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes last week.

The withdrawn notes accounted for nearly 86 per cent of the cash circulated in the country. Indelible ink was supplied to banks and post offices by the Indian Banks’ Association in coordination with banks and in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India. Identified bank branches are provided with black indelible ink bottles of 5-ml each. The cap of the bottle includes a small brush for applying the ink. — PTI