Kiren Rijiju asks NDRF, police forces to spread message of digital payments

"The Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces personnel must take the lead and use their vast reach as our nation is poised to join the leading economies of the world," he said.

New Delhi, Dec 21 Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday asked the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as well as central and state police forces to spread the message of digital payments and adopt cashless transactions.

"The Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces personnel must take the lead and use their vast reach as our nation is poised to join the leading economies of the world," he said while addressing a workshop on cashless transaction organised by the NDRF.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged the citizens to switch over to the "less cash" transactions and aimed to take India from being the world's fifth largest economy at present to among the top three in the next ten years.

The minister said that though it was difficult to move to digital payments initially but once started, one could easily adapt to the cashless mode of payment.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant also expressed similar views on the occasion, saying the "time is here to make a transition to cashless transactions".

"India cannot afford as high as 95 per cent of its economy making cash transactions if we are to take our economy from $2 trillion to $10 trillion by the year 2030. Besides, only one per cent of the more than 1.25 billion population pays Income Tax.

"With an aim to push India among the top economies of the world the Government has enrolled nearly 26 crore people under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and more than 20 crore RuPay cards issued," Kant said.

NDRF Director General R. K. Pachnanda said that cashless transactions not only make everyday life easier but is also gainful as the government has introduced several incentives to make the cashless transactions popular.

He asked the NDRF personnel to also imbibe the principle, "Each One, Teach One" to spread the message across a wider cross section of people.

IANS