NEW DELHI: Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das rejected the rumours that RBI would withdraw Rs 500 notes and instead introduce Rs 1000 notes after the withdrawal of Rs 2000 bills last month. He also urged the public not to speculate in this regard.

“The RBI is not thinking of withdrawing Rs 500 notes, or re-introducing notes in Rs 1,000 denomination; request public not to speculate.”, he said.

He said that fifty percent of the Rs 2000 notes have returned to the banks and these will be worth Rs 1.82 lakh crores.

“Total Rs 3.62 lakh crore of Rs 2,000 banknotes were in circulation. After the announcement, about Rs 1.8 lakh crores of Rs 2,000 banknotes have come back. This is roughly about 50 per cent of the Rs 2,000 banknotes, which were in circulation.”, Das said.