DigiDhanMela attracts 9,500 people

NEW DELHI: Around 9,500 persons attended a two-day awareness camp here to create awareness about digital payments and help people open bank accounts and enroll for Aadhaar, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said today.

Digital transactions worth Rs 60,000 were conducted at the event that concluded today, it said.

"DigiDhan Mela witnessed footfall of over 9500 visitors in two days," a release by the ministry said.

The camp commenced on December 17 culminated today at Major Dhyanchand National Stadium, Delhi.

The objective of the initiative was to enable citizens and merchants to undertake real-time digital transactions through the DigiDhan Bazaar and encourage them to use digital platforms for day-to-day transactions, the statement said.

"As many as 72 participants from 29 banks including State Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Andhra Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, ICICI Bank were present," the statement said.

Eighteen mobile wallet operators like MobiKwik, Oxygen, TranServ; telecom companies like Airtel, Idea, Reliance Jio participated in the event.

Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) vendors, merchants (through marketing associations), co-operatives like Kendriya Bhandar and organised retail fruits and vegetable chains like Safal, Mother Dairy took part in the DigiDhan Mela.

"Cashless transactions took place worth Rs 60,000 at the DigiBazar," the statement said.

The UIDAI counter at the Mela created about 500 new Aadhaar accounts and registered over 2,000 new applications and NPCI (National Payment Corporation of India) has made almost 6000 people aware about USSD (AEPS and RuPay card in a span of two days, it added.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology plans to follow up the DigiDhanMela by camps organised at state level and at bank branch levels.