VP Dhankar urges better note counting machines following breakdown in Odisha’s IT raids

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar delivered a call to action on Monday, December 11, highlighting the ‘pressing’ need for better currency counting machines to tackle the arduous task of note counting, as the IT raids in Odisha culminated with over Rs 350 crore being seized, marking it the largest-ever seizure by any department in India, to this date. 

Speaking at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dhanbad, Dhankar expressed concern over the tiresome process faced by banking personnel and urged the creation of a machine capable of swiftly and accurately tallying currency notes.

“I was observing the plight of the bank manager. He said, 'We are counting and counting and counting. But tomorrow is a working day, so we'll have to deal with our clients here,” stated Dhankar. Additionally, he underlined the critical need for a mechanism to alleviate the burden on human resources, underscoring the urgency for technological innovation.

Stance against corruption and call for collective responsibility

In his address, the Vice President also stressed the nation's firm stance against corruption, asserting the imperative to eradicate corrupt elements from positions of power. "Corruption has no place. Corruption is no longer a means to gain favor. Power corridors have been infiltrated by corrupt elements," he asserted firmly.

Dhankar concluded by assigning collective responsibility to harness technological prowess, urging professionals to develop a machine capable of swiftly counting any volume of currency. The initiative aims to streamline operations and expedite subsequent actions, aligning with the nation's ethos of integrity and efficiency.

Meanwhile, the Vice President's statement comes as the Income Tax department conducted raids across three states on properties associated with Boudh Distillery Private Limited, linked to Congress lawmaker Dheeraj Sahu's family. The raids led to the seizure of currency notes exceeding ₹350 crore. The company, specializing in manufacturing extra neutral alcohol, has Sahu's elder brother as its chairman and his son as the managing director.

IT raids and seizure of ₹350 crore  

During the raids, substantial amounts of cash in denominations of ₹500, ₹200, and ₹100 were discovered in unexpected locations such as huts and dilapidated almirahs in liquor outlets. The seizures, deemed the largest-ever by any agency against a single entity, included cash over ₹350 crore from almirahs at the company's Balangir district premises and the remainder from various sites in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

Breakdown of note counting machines

Notably, the counting of notes amounting to ₹50 crores was completed by the Income Tax officials on the first day itself, but due to the sheer volume of notes, the machines ceased operation. Additional machines and manpower were deployed by the I-T department to expedite the ongoing counting process.

The BJP has alleged Congress's involvement in corruption in light of the substantial cash seizures, while Congress distanced itself, urging Dheeraj Sahu to provide clarification. The ruling BJD in Odisha pledged action against wrongdoers.

Conversely, JMM accused the BJP of crafting a false narrative against opposition leaders, awaiting the official statement from the I-T department. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also expressed the party's disassociation from Sahu's businesses, demanding clarity from Sahu himself regarding the situation.