Pondy politicians flay demonetisation, digital banking scheme

Political leaders cutting across party lines in Puducherry today came out sharply against the scrapping of high value currency notes and promotion of the digital banking scheme by the Centre.
Former Education Minister and ruling Congress MLA K Lakshminarayanan told PTI here that the implementation of "demonetisation and e-banking have already started hitting the poor, and petty vendors in Puducherry."
The demonetisation move has wrecked the daily-wage earners and those in the rural areas, he claimed.
"It would be difficult to implement the digital banking or electronic mode of payment," he observed.
The CPI(M) leader T Murugan charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lt Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi with "having joined hands to inflict sufferings on the poor and have-nots in Puducherry, by their adherence to e-banking and electronic mode of payment."

"Workers in the unorganised sector are bearing the brunt of the scheme which cannot be practically feasible and it would also be impossible for the poor wage earners to have knowledge of e-wallets, debit and credit cards and swipe machines," he said.

Meanwhile, AIADMK legislature wing leader A Anbalagan alleged that the Prime Minister and the Lt Governor of Puducherry were only causing misery to the people by their adherence to digital transactions for settling payments.
He further said if Chief Minister V Narayanasamy was firm in resisting the Centre's directives for adopting digital banking in Puducherry, the Congress MPs should jointly take up the issue before the Prime Minister in Delhi," he said.

Anbalagan also censured the order issued by the Finance department here to all Heads of deparments that they adopt digital transactions with immediate effect.