New Delhi: The headquarters manufacturing the printed currency and bank notes in the nationa capital has been declared a “prohibited place” under the British-era Official Secrets Act (OSA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The manufacturer printed the new series of notes of denomination ₹2,000 and ₹500 in 2016.
The office of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), located on the 16 th floor of Jawahar Bhavan, Janpath in central Delhi, has been declared a prohibited place “to prevent the entry of unauthorised persons,” said an MHA notification published in the Gazette of India on February 15.
“The nine production units of SPMCIL, where bank notes and other government papers are manufactured, are already prohibited places. Only the Delhi headquarters where crucial decisions are taken and important files are generated was not under the purview. Through the recent order, even the Delhi office has been declared a prohibited place,” a SPMCIL official told The Hindu.
Asked what the order implies, the official said, “There will be heightened security, visitors will be allowed but sparingly.” The official said all important meetings and key decisions involving various organisations such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Finance Ministry and others are take at the Delhi office.
An MHA official however said the notification was issued as per the SPMCIL’s request.
