Fact Check: SBI, PNB asking customers to fill up forms to exchange Rs 2000 notes? Know the truth

New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently announced the withdrawal of the Rs 2000 currency notes from circulation and has kept a window to exchange the bank notes up to the limit of Rs 20,000 with banks. While banks including SBI and PNB are providing exchange facilities without forms and requisition slips, some of such forms have gone viral on the internet.

People are claiming that even after such notices, banks are asking the customers to fill up such forms with personal information to exchange the Rs 2000 notes. The claims do not stand fully true and PNB issued a statement to the news agency ANI to refute such claims.

Fact Check:

PNB officials said that the pictures of the forms circulating on the internet are actually the old forms issued by the bank. The bank officials clarified that no Aaadhar Card or officially verified documents (OVD) are required, and there is no need to fill out any form as per the current instruction to all the branches of Punjab National Bank (PNB).

No Aaadhar Card, No official verified documents (OVD) required, no need to fill any form is the current instruction to all the branches of Punjab National Bank (PNB): Clarify PNB officials to ANI after old forms circulated online seeking additional personal information for… pic.twitter.com/LX3fRdx8DF

— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Similarly, SBI, a couple of days ago, clarified that the exchange facilities will be provided without any requisition slips in its all branches. SBI informed its branches to extend cooperation to the public and avoid any inconvenience in the process.

Why this step?

SBI clarifies that the facility of exchange of Rs 2000 denomination bank notes upto a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time will be allowed without obtaining any requisition slip pic.twitter.com/TP6t2n9oeJ

— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2023

Public complained about facing inconvenience and standing in long queues in banks during the 2016 demonetisation. SBI, PNB, and other banks are taking such steps to overcome the time-consuming process of exchanging or depositing Rs 2000 notes.

The deposit or exchange facilities will be open from May 23 to September 30 up to a limit of Rs 20,000. RBI has given more than four months to exchange or deposit the bank notes to avoid hassle and inconvenience, while Rs 2000 notes remain to be legal tender.