Panel of CMs to push cashless economy

Modi government plans to set up a committee of five or six chief ministers to suggest ways to promote digitisation, reports Indivjal Dhasmana/Business Standard

The Narendra Modi government plans to set up a committee of five or six chief ministers to suggest ways to promote digitisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is learnt to have directed all ministries and departments to switch to online transactions and at the same time ensure downstream payments, including those made by contractors to labourers, are made through cheques or the electronic mode.

The decision, sources said, was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Modi recently.

The directive to ministries on going cashless is seen as a move to curb corruption and promote ease of doing business.

On Monday, the steel, fertiliser, petroleum, and environment and forest ministries had a meeting in this regard.

Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh had a detailed meeting with his officials. It has been decided at the meeting to have a time-bound approach to ensure a smooth, effective and sustainable shift to a cashless society.

To begin with, steel manufacturers, both in private and public sectors, will ensure all their business transactions are undertaken in the digital mode.

Thereafter, the focus will be on colonies, including hospitals and schools operated by steel manufacturers.

The ministry of environment and forests sensitised its staff on various aspects of digital payment. 'More than 700 employees learnt how to use e-wallet and swipe cards,' Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave tweeted.

Fertiliser cooperative IFFCO said on Monday that it would run a campaign to educate its 50-million member farmers about the use of online and digital payment gateways for purchase of seeds and fertilisers.

IFFCO has already organised information seminars in Dadri (Uttar Pradesh), Palwal (Haryana), and Dehradun (Uttarakhand).

Similar meetings were held in the petroleum ministry.