Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called for scrapping high-denomination currency notes of ₹500, ₹1,000 and ₹2,000. He said only ₹100 and ₹200 notes should remain in circulation to curb corruption and push digital transactions.
Naidu made the remarks at a press conference in Amaravati on November 9. They came a day after the 10th anniversary of the 2016 demonetisation, when the Centre withdrew the old ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes. “The notes of ₹500, ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 should be scrapped. Only notes of ₹100 and ₹200 should be retained,” he said. He added that he would continue to raise the issue.
The TDP chief said limiting high-value cash and promoting digital payments and digital currency can break the “vicious circle of corruption”. He said this would make wealth creation easier and help eradicate poverty, if technology is implemented properly. He also linked high-value notes to problems such as vote-buying and unaccounted money.
Naidu said this is not a new demand. He claimed he had given inputs to a digital currency report submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had urged the same step earlier. He has pushed similar ideas for years, including before the 2016 exercise.
The chief minister also spoke about reducing money power in elections. He claimed that efforts by the NDA had curbed cash distribution during polls. These comments were tied to the results of local body elections, where he also highlighted technology-driven governance.
Naidu leads the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an NDA ally. No major new development has followed the press conference remarks. On the role of technology, he said: “If technology is implemented properly, the vicious circle of corruption can be broken.”
