No proper planning, HC tells Centre

TT, Calcutta, Nov. 18: The chief justice of Calcutta High Court today said "it seems the government did not have proper planning" before announcing the demonetisation decision and "common people are completely confused".

"Your government is changing its banking rules frequently. It seems that the government did not have proper planning before the demonetisation. Common people are completely confused. There should be some immediate steps to sort out the present problems of common citizens," Chief Justice Girish Chandra Gupta told additional solicitor-general Kaushik Chanda, a representative of the Centre.

Describing the changes in banking rules as "hasty decisions" and saying the government had not done "proper homework", the chief justice asked Chanda how one was supposed to sustain a family with Rs 2,000.

"Why is your government (the Centre) taking such hasty decisions?" he asked.

Justice Gupta said the Centre had initially declared that Rs 4,000 in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes could be exchanged in a day, which was later increased to Rs 4,500.

"Suddenly, the decision was changed. An announcement was made that only Rs 2,000 can be exchanged," the chief justice said. "How can a person run his family with such a minimal amount?" he asked.

When additional solicitor-general Chanda said money could be withdrawn from ATMs and banks, Justice Gupta asked him: "What about people who do not have accounts? What are they supposed to do? There are thousands of citizens who do not have bank accounts, what will they do?"

"Is it possible for them to meet all the expenses till December 30 with only Rs 2,000? What is the price of atta per kilo?" he asked Chanda.

Lawyers present in the courtroom said Rs 35 to Rs 40 in chorus.

"What about other commodities? Why would the government not think about those people? The Prime Minister has said every person has to open a bank account. Before the opening of all such accounts, can these rules can be framed on banking?" he asked.

Chanda kept quiet.

The bench of the chief justice and Justice Arindam Sinha directed the additional solicitor-general to take proper instructions from the Centre on what it planned to do to ease the problems of the people and inform the court on the next date of hearing on November 25.

The court was today hearing two public interest litigation on the difficulties faced by people in the wake of the demonetisation drive.