The government on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that nearly 8.35 lakh pieces of counterfeit notes, including 2.44 lakh pieces of Rs 2000 denomination, were seized last year. Replying to a question in the House, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai provided data of counterfeit notes seized in five years since 2016.

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As per the data, 8,34,947 pieces were seized in 2020, 2,87,404 in 2019, 2,57,243 in 2018, 3,55,994 in 2017, and 2,81,839 in 2016. Replying to supplementary questions, Rai also refuted suggestions that there was a rise in counterfeit notes seizures in the country, saying the number of fake notes seized in 2018 was lower than in 2017.

No significant pattern had emerged in seizures of fake notes, he said. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is the nodal agency that compiles the data on crimes including counterfeit currency notes as reported to it by the states and the Union Territories. The NCRB publishes the same in its annual publication Crime in India'.

The minister said the government was committed to thwart attempts to disrupt the Indian economy by the circulation of fake currency.

Meanwhile, replying to a question on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said out of the total expenditure of Rs 683.05 crore from 2014-15 to 2020-21, expenditure on the Media Advocacy campaign has been Rs 401.04 crore which is 58 percent of the total expenditure.

First Published:Feb 2, 2022 2:23 PM IST