Indian currency printed by Chinese firm? AAP takes on Modi government
New Delhi, Aug 13 : The AAP government on Monday sought a clarification from the Centre following a report published in a Chinese daily claiming that a company there has been given the licence to print Indian currency.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national spokesperson Raghav Chadha termed the revelation as a "big threat to India's national security" and "financial sovereignty" and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why this information was not available in the public domain.
"What were the reasons behind approaching a foreign firm instead of assigning someone domestically? Was India approached by China, and did we succumb to pressure from them in their bid to increase their global influence?" Chadha asked.
The South China Morning Post, a Chinese financial news publication, has reported that a Chinese state-owned company, China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, has been contracted to print large quantities of international currencies including that of India.
The report states that in 2013, Beijing launched the belt and road plan which involved 60 countries from Asia, Europe and Africa to stimulate economic growth.
The President of the China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation, Liu Guisheng, was quoted as saying that his company has since then "successfully won contracts for currency production projects in a number of countries including Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Brazil and Poland."
Referring to the report, Chadha said that an undisclosed source was quoted as saying that some governments have asked Beijing "not to publicise the deal because they are worried such information could compromise national security or trigger unnecessary debates at home."
He opined that in the light of recent hostilities between the two nations, this could lead to some "serious strategic disadvantages for India".
The report claims that despite domestic currency demand being at its lowest, China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation has been "functioning at full capacity to deliver on international contracts".
It also states that while there was not much work until last year, there has been a sudden jump in production.
Chadha went on to dub the Modi government's demonetization move as "wasteful and dubious" in making India a cashless economy and said that similarly, the decision of outsourcing the printing of Indian notes to China is "counter-productive and dangerous."
"If the intent was to move towards a cashless economy, what is the objective of rolling out new currency for Rs10? Who is the beneficiary of the expense at which the printing is being pursued?" Chadha asked.
"Another suspicious aspect of this deal is how it negates our fight against counterfeit currency. This action puts us in a vulnerable position. Will this not create more avenues for international parties for counterfeiting?" he added.
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ASI taking proactive measures to mitigate any damage to Aurangzeb's tomb: Govt in Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): The Archaeological Survey of India has been continuously taking "proactive measures" in coordination with district administration to "mitigate" any damage to the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Maharashtra's Khuldabad, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
Union Culture Minster Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said this in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha.
He was asked whether it is a fact that tomb of Aurangzeb is an ASI-protected monument, and if so, whether these details have been "mentioned in the ASI website or removed on the pretext of recent threats".
"The tomb of Aurangzeb at Khuldabad, district Aurangabad, Maharashtra is an ASI-protected monument. The details are available at ASI's website," Shekhawat said.
The tomb of Aurangzeb is under jurisdiction of Aurangabad Circle of the ASI.
The Union minister was also asked whether it has come to notice of the ASI that this particular protected monument is under threat of demolition from extremist groups; and if so, the actions taken up by the ASI to protect this monument.
"ASI has been continuously taking proactive measures in coordination with District Administration to mitigate any damage to the protected monument. Further, action taken includes providing 12 feet high metal sheet around the tomb, concertina wire over the surrounding walls to check the trespassers, deployment of private security personnel in addition to Multi Tasking Staff and inspection on regular intervals by ASI officials," he said.
