New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)should soon tell people about the benefits derived fromdemonetisation and the amount of black money deposited in thebanks after the announcement was made to scrap high-valuecurrency notes, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said today.
He said the aim of demonetisation was to check corruptionand get the entire money in circulation into the bankingsystem, including the money kept in "bedrooms, bathrooms orunder the pillows".
"Some people are asking, what was the benefit if all themoney had reached the banks...The aim of demonetisation was toget the entire money into the banks...How much of that moneywas black and how much white, that is the job of the RBI (toascertain).
"The RBI should complete the work as soon as possible andtell the people (about it). They (people) went through a lotof pain for 50 days to withdraw money (from ATMs). They haveto be explained as regards -- these were the advantages, thismuch money was official, this much money was not official,these many people came under the tax system," Naidu said.
He added that if the people were informed about theseaspects, their confidence in the system would grow.
The vice president was addressing the 12th annualconvention of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here.
Naidu also pitched for holding Lok Sabha and stateAssembly elections in the country simultaneously, and said thepolitical parties should "seriously" think about it.
"In India, it is always an election festival. Every sixmonths there is an election," he said, adding thatsimultaneous polls would help the people focus on theirresponsibilities.
The vice president said the information commissionersshould make "sincere efforts" for speedy disposal of casesregistered with them, and added that information provided topeople should be prompt and true.
He also said the order should be in the mother tongue ofthe applicants as 95 per cent of people in the country did notknow English.
"I have given the suggestion to the minister concernedthat the order on the application should gradually be movedtowards the mother tongue of the petitioner. Ordinary peopleshould have the benefit of getting the reply in their mothertongue," Naidu said, adding that the arguments in courtsshould also be in a language known to the litigants.
The vice president said some people were "misusing" theRight to Information Act, saying, "Right to information is amission and it should not be used for a commission."Information was empowering if it was authentic, Naidusaid, adding that a lack of information could lead to "rumourmongering, disinformation campaigns, exploitation andcorruption". PTI MP RC SKRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.