New Delhi, May 31 -- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday that the priority of the government is to "make sure" that currency in circulation will be in "lower denominations" and spreading more awareness for "doing digital transfers."

Answering a question on the future of Rs 500 currency, Sitharaman said, "We are making every effort to make sure that currency will be in the lower denominations, used much more than the higher, as the Rs 2000 is almost completely out of circulation, except for possibly 0.02, which is still lying outside. Others have given it to the banks."

"We need to have more digital awareness built so that people see a benefit in doing digital transfers," the Union Finance Minister said at the 'Nat...