Kolkata, Nov 16 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday lashed out at the government's decision to use indelible ink marks to prevent people from making multiple cash exchanges, alleging the Narendra Modi government distrusted the common people.

"Desperate attempt to start a 'black mechanism' with indelible ink shows this govt distrusts the common people," Banerjee tweeted.

Refering to the coming by-polls in various states on November 19, Banerjee said in another tweet: "What will the EC say about this decision to put indelible on prospective voters? #DeMonetisation"

Earlier, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said the move to use indelible ink - a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise decision to invalidate 500 and 1,000 rupee notes - was aimed at preventing large queues at banks and stop people from exchanging more than the permissible limit of money.

"The reason for long queues at banks is that the same people keep coming again and again. We have received reports that many people are trying to convert black money into white and have organised groups of people and sending them to exchange money," Das said.

"To prevent this, indelible ink marks will be made, like in elections, at the bank cash counters," he added.The government on Tuesday declared that banks will use indelible ink marks -- as is done to prevent bogus voting -- to prevent people from making multiple cash exchanges after the demonetisation of high-value currency notes.