Maharashtra's first cashless village let down by govt, banks

Dhasai, Maharashtra’s first and only cashless village, no longer lives up to its name. Residents of Dhasai don’t pull out their cards to swipe it on electronic data capture (EDC) machine anymore. Most transactions are now in cash.

The convenience of using cash is partly the reason why people have given up on electronic payments. The lack of requisite infrastructure is another key factor. “The government started promoting cashless transactions but forgot that it needs infrastructure. The card swipe machine needs telephone connection that works all the time and regular electricity supply. Mobile and land line network is a huge problem