Digital payments movement gaining pace with even poor participating: PM Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted his fellow citizens to embrace digital transactions so that the full-year target of 2,500 crore payments could be reached in half that time.

With demonetisation getting strong popular support as reflected in the recent assembly poll results in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister dwelt on the topic of going cashless in his Mann ki Baat address on Sunday.

“My dear countrymen, we must take our fight against black money and corruption to the next level. Can 125 crore countrymen resolve to undertake 2,500 crore digital transactions during this year? We made an announcement in Budget,” Modi said. “Our 125 crore countrymen, if they wish to do so, they need not wait for a year, they can do it in 6 months. We should contribute towards reducing the use of cash, of currency notes.

Cashless Transactions Growing
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced a mission to promote cashless payments with a target of 2,500 crore transactions in the year ending March 2018 during his February 1 Budget.

The PM said people have been participating in large numbers in the digital payment movement.

“There has also been an increase in curiosity about cashless transactions. The poorest of the poor are making an attempt to learn and people are gradually moving towards doing businesses without cash,” he said. “There has been a surge in various modes of digital payments after demonetisation. The BHIM (payments) app was launched just about two months ago, but approximately 1.5 crore people have downloaded it.”

He appealed to people to shift transactions, such as paying school fees, for travel or medicines, to the digital mode. “You can’t imagine how you can serve the country in this way and become a brave soldier in the fight against black money and corruption,” Modi said. He also mentioned that nearly 12.5 lakh people had won prizes for transacting digitally.

The PM, while welcoming the increasing participation of women in the workforce, said maternity leave for working women had been raised to 26 weeks from 12 weeks.

“There are now only two or three countries in the world which are ahead of us in this matter,” the PM said. Modi said women shoulder certain special responsibilities. “The basic aim is to ensure proper care of the newborn, the future citizen of India, from the time of birth. The newborn should get the complete love and attention of the mother. That is how these children will become true assets of the country when they grow up. Mothers too will remain healthy. And that is why, this is such a landmark decision, and will benefit 18 lakh women working in the formal sector,” Modi said.

With the UN focusing on depression as a theme this year on the occasion of World Health Day, the PM also touched upon the topic, saying the condition was curable. “There is a need to create a psychologically conducive environment to begin with. The first mantra is the expression of depression instead of its suppression,” the PM said. Modi said that one’s friends, family and surroundings can prevent one from going into depression or pull one out of it. “There is another way. If you are unable to express yourself to your family and friends, then do one thing, go out in society with a sense of service. Devote yourself with all your heart into helping others and sharing their joys and sorrows. You will find that along with it your own inner sufferings will go on disappearing,” the PM said. He also advised Indians to turn to yoga for mental wellbeing.

He reiterated his vision for a New India, which he had first spoken about a day after BJP’s win in Uttar Pradesh. On Sunday, he said New India was neither a government programme, nor the manifesto of a political party, nor was it a project. New India is the clarion call of 125 crore countrymen, he said. “It is the essence of the emotions of 125 crore Indians wanting to come together and create a magnificent India, 125 crore Indians who nurture a hope, a zeal, a resolve, a desire,” he said. “This desire of 125 crore countrymen for change, the effort to change, is what will lay a strong foundation of a New India,” he said.