Did you know the Dera had its own currency?
What's the story
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh lived life king-size. He owned an empire, so it might not be very surprising to know the Dera even had its own currency. These tokens were used by all shops in Sirsa where the Dera headquarters are located. If they don't have change, they would simply give you plastic "coins" worth Rs. 5 or 10.
Economics
How did the system work?
The shops around the Dera campus (all have the word "Sach" prefixed to their names) use these "coins", which are engraved with the words "Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera hi Asara, Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa". Customers can use them to buy stuff at other "Sach" shops. The 1,000-acre Dera campus is an entire township- there are schools, hospital, sports village and even a cinema hall.
Status
Is an end to the system near?
But now the currency has become practically worthless for locals, who have been left with many of these "coins". "I have three such coins of Rs. 10, but I cannot use them because the entire area near the Dera headquarters has been cordoned off by the Army," said Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Beghu village located near the campus.