BJP educates workers on cashless transaction

Equipped with laptops, demo swipe machines and smart phones, BJP teams have already completed training of their cadres in two or three districts and have now gone to other parts of the state.

Kolkata, Dec 11 Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to move towards a cashless economy, and also to counter TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's opposition to demonetisation, West Bengal BJP unit has started a statewide drive to educate its workers on e-banking and cashless transactions.

The party unit has set up teams of trained workers from the party's IT unit that will go around the state and conduct workshops on e-banking. "Some members of our IT department has come back after a training on how to use mobile banking and other cashless transactions. Now we have prepared a few teams of two or three experienced IT guys. They are touring districts and conducting workshops and training sessions both for our party workers and locals," state BJP President Dilip Ghosh told PTI.

The aim of these workshops and training sessions is to help rural people gain knowledge about e-banking and educate BJP workers in districts, who in turn could educate people in their area, Ghosh said. "Mamata Banerjee is constantly trying to provoke people against Modiji's call for cashless transactions.

So we decided that by imparting training, we can counter her allegations that rural people are not comfortable with it," a state BJP leader, who is part of the training programme, said. "If you can train them properly, there would be no question of not being comfortable with it," he said.

Equipped with laptops, demo swipe machines and smart phones, BJP teams have already completed training of their cadres in two or three districts and have now gone to other parts of the state.

On November 25, a video conference was held between state leaders and union minister Piyush Goyal and BJP National General Secretary (organisation) Ramlal, where the benefits of cashless transactions were presented for state leaders.

"It was then decided that we will also launch a training programme for our people. Cashless transactions will be taught first to our district leaders, then block level leaders and then our workers at Mondal level. Then it will be passed on to the locals. We are receiving a huge response from the people," a state BJP leader said. A section of BJP leaders, however accepted that there is still a section of workers who are not aware of e-banking.

"Yes, there is a section of our own party workers in rural areas, who are still not aware of e-banking and cashless transaction. But we are confident that after this training programme, they would be able to cope with the new system," the BJP leader added.

PTI