In the course of the next six days, nearly 2.96 lakh bottles of indelible ink are expected to be shipped to 28 banks across the country, in order to mark the people visiting banks to exchange their old currency notes.
The government announced the decision on Tuesday, to use indelible ink on customers, to prevent people from making more than the permissible number of cash withdrawals from bank counters, in the wake of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes becoming illegal tender.
The Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd (MYPVL), which is the only company authorised to manufacture the substance, shipped 30,000 bottles of ink on Wednesday. The inks will be distributed to various banks through RBI branches.
According to The New Indian Express, the Mysuru company is the only authorised manufacturer since 1962.
With one 5 cc bottle is priced at Rs 116, the Reserve Bank of India placed an order worth Rs 3.5 crore. One bottle can be used to mark nearly 500 customers on their right index finger.
According to MYPVL chairman H A Venkatesh, the company is working overtime to meet the order.
The Election Commission has also reportedly placed orders for 5 lakh bottles, ahead of assembly polls in five states.