NASHIK: The capacity of printing currency notes in the Currency Note Press (CNP) will be increased after the installation of new machines worth Rs 1400 crore in the next five years. After the installation of machineries worth Rs 350 crore in one-and-half years, the printing capacity will be increased by 1,000 million currency notes per year. Currently, 5500-6000 currency notes get printed per year. Offest printing, BPS Numerota, Intaglio printing, numbering, and finishing machineries will be installed. Order for setting up a new banknote printing and the finishing line at an investment of Rs 3500 crore has been given.
Presently, CNP is printing currency notes in denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 50, Rs 100, Rs 200, and Rs 500. “The quality and printing capacity will be increased with the installation of modern machineries. We will face new challenges successfully with support by worker leaders, workers and their hard work”, confided office bearer of Press Mazdoor Sangh Jagdish Godse. Despite old machineries, increasing break down, Press workers had competed with Reserve Bank of India Press and printed currency notes on a high scale.
They had worked 24/7 during the note ban without taking a weekly off to print currency notes to address the shortage of currency notes. A delegation led by worker leaders Jagdish Godse and Dnynaeshwar Jundre had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had demanded him to install new machinery in CNP. He had agreed over this.
Following approval by the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL) for the tender process for the inlay of e-passport which was delayed for the last many years, the printing capacity of e-passport will go up to three crore per year. The Press workers have to replace earlier 1.5 crore passports and to complete demand for new 1.5 crore passports. 50% inlay which is required for e-passport will come to CNP from abroad.
