Digital Payments is to ensure more people benefit from technology : Anurag Thakur

Launch of Digital India and Digital Payments will ensure more people can benefit from technology, especially in rural areas, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur said.

Addressing a conference on Digital and Cashless Economy - "The Future of India's Digital Payments" here on Friday, the minister said that the government has left behind the "Chalta Hai Attitude" and adopted "Badal Sakta Hai" Vision.

"Government has ensured that the advantages of technology are not restricted to a select few but are there for all sections of society," said Thakur.

He also recalled the recent instance where Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur, Kerala last month and paid temple ceremonies in advance, through a "Digital Transaction".

"Through his action, he inspired the idea that temple, tradition, and Technology can co-exist together in new India. His actions inspired millions of temple visitors across India to go Digital. This is how tradition meets technology," said Thakur.

He said that by applying Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Aadhaar-linked Payments (ALP), the government has reduced delays in the payment of wages, curbed corruption and plugged up any leakages in the system.

"To ensure digital literacy in every house-hold, the government has initiated the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) to make 60 million adults digitally literate in rural India of which more than 10 million people have already been trained," he said.

The Minister mentioned that Reserve Bank of India has released the 'Payment And Settlement Systems In India: Vision - 2019-2021 which aims to transform India into a cash-lite economy and ensure that the country has a 'state-of-the-art' payment and settlement systems that are safe and secure.

"The west transitioned from paper currency to plastic card currency. India will transition from paper currency to digital currency, much faster and with more volume anywhere seen in the world".

( With inputs from ANI )