SHILLONG: The Union Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain, will launch the DigiDhan fair, which is aimed at creating awareness on digital payment, in the city on Tuesday.
Addressing news persons on Friday, Chief Secretary K.S Kropha said though there are constraints in internet connectivity, there is a need to encourage digital payment.
The ‘DigiDhan’ fair or mela, organised by NITI Ayog and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will be held at U Soso Tham Auditorium.
The Centre wants to promote digital payment methods to encourage consumers and merchants to increasingly shift to these payment modes.
The chief secretary said Shillong was selected among the 100 cities in the country to create awareness on digital payment.
He said the participants will include banking institutions, including SBI, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), mobile operators, e-wallet, Paytm, local online companies, MeECL, BSNL, Agri-Horticulture Department, Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited and others.
He added that MeECL and the Taxation Department now accept payments digitally.
Commissioner and Secretary of the IT Department D.P Wahlang said though the fair will be from 10 am to 6 pm, the official inauguration will be at 3.30 pm by the Union Minister.
State IT Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh will also grace the occasion. The celebrity chosen by the Government on the occasion is Soulmate band, which will perform at the mela.
“To set an example, we will pay the band digitally on the stage,” Wahlang said.
A lucky draw for transactions done by citizens will also be held through National Payments Corporation of India.
Asked about the constraints related to internet connectivity, both the officials admitted the difficulty, but said BSNL is taking steps to address the concerns.
“At least 65 percent of the population in Meghalaya uses mobiles and in this context, digital payment may come in handy,” Wahlang said.
The chief secretary said the government plans to use less cash and go for more digital transactions, but it does not mean a fully cashless situation as nobody can be forced to go for a complete digital transaction.
