Assam to make digital payment a 'norm'

Departments will examine the possibility of amending rules so that digital payment is made compulsory

With the Centre pushing the economy towards a cashless one, the Assam government has chalked out an ‘action plan’ to promote digital payments across the state.

Assam industry minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary, said all payments and receipts in the state government will be made digital in a time bound manner. For non-governmental entities like private hospitals, educational institutions, shops and establishments, the concerned departments would issue necessary advisories and directions so that digital payment becomes a norm within a fixed time frame.

Departments will also examine the possibility of amending relevant Acts and rules so that enablers for digital payment such as availability of Point of Sale (POS) machines, etc will be made compulsory. The state government has also decided to “explore” the possible incentives for digital payments and disincentives for cash payments.

Presently, 70 per cent of the public expenditure flowing through the State budget is committed expenditure like salary, pension, etc. All these payments are being made 100 per cent digitally. About 4.35 lakh employees are all drawing the salaries online.

Patwoary said a large-scale digital payment literacy campaign has been chalked out by the higher education department of the state with State Bank of India (SBI) by involving 20,000 volunteers in the month of December 2016 and preparatory activities have already commenced.

He said deputy commissioners (DC) of the district have been asked to liaise with the officers of labour departments of both State and the Centre, as advised by the Union government, to ensure financial inclusion and digital payment to all labourers working in each district in the informal sector as well.

The urban development department is also preparing an action plan to ensure that all payments and receipts of all urban local bodies would be cashless by 31 March, 2017.