The Reserve Bank of India has extended the deadline for collecting gold against the repayment of National Defence Gold Bonds, 1980 up to December 2000. The Reserve Bank has also appealed to the holders of National Defence Gold Bonds, 1980 to tender the bonds for repayment at its Public Debt Offices in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanpur, Chennai, Nagpur, New Delhi and Patna.

The Reserve Bank has also stated that the holders of the Bonds might obtain delivery order in exchange of the discharged bonds from its offices. Holders of the bonds can themselves collect gold or can have it collected through their authorised representatives. Up to the market value of Rs.20,000, the holders can collect the gold also by registered and insured post subject to prescribed conditions. In the event of the death of the original holder of the bonds, the claimants to the bonds are required to obtain and produce legal representation to the estate of the deceased.

The National Defence Gold Bonds, 1980, matured for repayment in October 1980. Some of the holders have, however, not lodged the bonds for repayment of gold due to them.