According to reports, silver-alloy coins were to be distributed to all invitees at Ayodhya on 05.08.2020 for foundation-stone laying-ceremony of much-awaited temple at birth-place of Lord Rama. But till now anti-public tradition has been of a cumbersome procedure of advance-booking of such silver-alloy coins and commemorative coin-sets thus reaching to coin-collectors after several months of issue thus killing the very purpose of commemorating an occasion through issue of coins with ordinary people not aware of cumbersome procedure not getting these special coins and coin-sets.
Now healthy practice should be started by making arrangements to sell silver-alloy coins and commemorative coins issued on 05.08.2020 immediately thereafter through at least selected bank-branches and post-offices even though ideally these should have been sold at all bank-branches and post-offices to make general public also part of commemorating the grand occasion. Rather such a practice should be continued for any further release of special coins. Only one counter opened on 20.01.2020 at office of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) at Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan (Janpath – New Delhi) is not enough.
Special silver-alloy coins should be available at face-value in tamper-proof packing with serial-number with face-value kept at about double the metal-value. It is ridiculous that face-value of newly issued silver-alloy coin (never available at face-value) is like rupees 100 while metal-value is multiple times higher even at date of issue.
MADHU AGRAWAL