Karnataka Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP B Manickam Tagore has raised concerns over the acute shortage of low-value notes in rural Karnataka. In a letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Tagore highlighted the difficulties faced by rural communities and urban poor in Karnataka due to the shortage of Rs 10, 20, and 50 notes. Sharing the letter on social media platform X, he said, “A letter has been written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the acute shortage of Rs 10, 20 and 50 notes. This shortage is causing difficulties in rural and urban poor communities.”

Tagore called it an urgent issue: "The acute shortage of Rs 10, 20, and 50 notes has caused great inconvenience and hardship. It affects millions of citizens, especially in rural areas and poor urban communities." He pointed out that the shortage of these low-value notes is affecting small vendors, hawkers, and daily wage earners. Many of these do not have access to digital payment systems.

Cash transactions are a big support for these groups for their livelihood

According to Tagore, these groups depend heavily on cash transactions for their livelihood, and the current shortage is making it difficult for them to function. Tagore attributed the shortage to reports that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stopped printing low-value notes to promote UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and cashless transactions.

He wrote, “Reports suggest that RBI has stopped printing these notes to promote UPI and cashless transactions. The push for digital payments is understandable, but this move disproportionately affects those who do not have access to digital payment infrastructure, especially in rural areas.”

Appeal to Finance Minister for immediate intervention

Tagore urged Finance Minister Sitharaman to intervene immediately by directing the RBI to resume printing and distribution of low-value currency notes. He appealed for an adequate supply of these notes to meet public demand and recommended measures to bridge the digital divide by improving access to digital payment systems in rural areas.