The government is mulling to remove the King’s picture from bank notes and use pictures of national luminaries and the Himalayas.

According to a report, the Finance Ministry has already tabled a proposal at the cabinet to this effect while the Nepal Rastra Bank had already submitted nine samples of pictures to the Ministry. The proposal has nine samples depicting Lord Buddha as a symbol of peace in different postures, and others have pictures of Mt. Everest and Bhrikuti.

The Himalayan Times daily quoted Finance Secretary Bidhyadhar Mallik as saying that a coin depicting a farmer ploughing the field has already come into mass circulation. “It is the first coin that has not mentioned the King’s name,” he added.

A senior official at the Notes Design Committee of the NRB said, “If everything goes as per plan, the new notes will come into mass circulation by May or June this year.”

According to central bank sources, the paper notes will also see some changes in size and colour, which is subject to approval of the cabinet.

The central bank has initiated effort to replace the King’s picture from notes of all denominations following the success of the historic April movement of the country and the restoration of the parliament deprived the King of all privileges enjoyed by him.