By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In view of the acute shortage of coins faced by Shillongites, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) organized a coin Mela at MTC Building, Jail Road on Saturday. The Mela was supervised by Deputy General Manager, RBI, Guwahati Jatin Rawal.The implementing agency is SBI Main Branch.
A source from the SBI Main Branch said that the idea behind this Mela is to spread the awareness that there is no shortage of coins in the city. “Today the RBI has taken the initiative in association with SBI and it can be another bank in the next Mela since the issue related to coin is not the sole responsibility of SBI. The Mela was organized for the first time in the city with the sole aim to take out the fear psychosis that is there in the people’s mind regarding the crisis of coin,” said the source requesting anonymity.
The source further said that the Mela could have been organized inside the bank premises but the authorities went outside and conducted it in a public place so that they can reach out to the public to distribute the coins. On Saturday, Re1, Rs2, Rs5 and Rs10 coins were distributed to the general public. “It will continue in the near future too and will be implemented by another bank. This maiden Mela was a successful one,” he said. The source also said that with the opening success they would like to see it taking place at least 3/4 times in a year. He also requested the public to rotate the coins and should not deposit them in their piggy banks.
Meanwhile, large number of customers thronged the stall which was erected at the parking lot of MTC Headquarters, Jail Road. There were separate queues in place for customers wishing to take certain denomination which was assisted by SBI officials. A pan shop owner said that he has not seen such a Mela in the past where coins were distributed in such large numbers. “I would request the RBI authorities to organize such Mela on a quarterly basis so that there remains no crisis of coins in the city,” he said.
Another customer said that she is satisfied with the coin Mela since coin crisis is a major thing in the city. “If you go to any shop you can’t expect any return less than Rs10. This is the sad reality in this city,” she said adding that such Mela will reduce the availability of change in the market. She is also echoed by another customer who said that the coin crisis is more or less created by the business establishment, small or big, and no matter how many such Melas are conducted if the unfair trade practices of these establishments are not checked nothing can be done. “The bank is doing its duty but to me the coin crisis here is a created one as public here doesn’t have any voice,” he said.