Circulation of Bhutanese currency rampant in Assam

Lack of vigilance along the border area of India and Bhutan has been posing serious threat to the local economy in Assam as miscreants have been indulging in the business of illegal currency trading in the state. The problem is rampant in the eight districts of Western and Northern Assam where these traders sell a Rupees 10 Bhutanese note for Rs 5 in Indian currency. While a Rupees 10 Bhutanese note is treated as the same value of Rs 10 of Indian currency in Assam. 

 

Due to such illegal activities, the Bhutanese currencies of denomination from Rupees 5 to Rupees 100 are available in about eight districts of western and northern Assam. As a friendly neighbour, India and Bhutan do not have fencing along the border.

 

Bhutanese currencies are equally dominating in Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chring, Baska, Borpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup, Odalguri districts of western and northern Assam.

 

President of the Dhubri Bikash Manch and newly elected organizing secretary of the All Assam Employees Union, Shuchibrata Singha Choudhury said that such illegal business of currency would harm the Indian economy and he demanded the authorities to ban the foreign currency in Indian markets.

 

It is worth-mentioning that most of the people in Assam area bordering Bhutan carry Bhutanese currency. Since most of these poor people do not have bank passbooks and also confine their business within their locality only, they prefer to use the Bhutanese currency more than the Indian currency.