In the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to CM Raghubar Das to discuss the scenario in the State after demonetisation and the Central Government initiative to promote cashless economy in the nation, the State Government on Tuesday decided to launch an extensive campaign to make people adopt the electronic modes of transactions in their daily lives. The CM convened three back to back meetings with bankers, trade body representatives and senior Government officials to launch 'Cashless Jharkhand' campaign from December 2 to spread the message of cashless economy.

Das first discussed the idea with Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and lead bank officers through video-conferencing during 'Seedhi Baat' programme. The CM later held a high-level meeting with SlBC, RBI, SBI, Bank of India, PNB and other bank officials along with CS Rajbala Verma, DGP DK Pandey, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional chief Secretary Planning and Finance department Amit Khare along with other senior officials at the CM Secretariat. The CM also called members of trade bodies, including the FJCCI and chaired a meeting with them.

Khare said that under the campaign every district headquarters, block headquarters and bank branch will observe 'Cashless Jharkhand' campaign from December 2. Traders of every district will also be asked to start accepting cashless payments.

For this, Commercial Taxes and district chamber of commerce and other trade bodies will tell the traders that they would get excise duty and CENVAT exemption on the purchase of E-POS machines.The Development Commissioner further pointed out that youths and panchayat secretariats would be trained through Pragya Kendras so that they train five other persons each. All employees under a district, especially policemen, ANMs, Sahiya, Malaria workers, MPW, Anganwadi Sevikas, MGNREGA workers, Panchayat members, labour department staff

would be trained so that they further train five other persons each.

Every family must have a bank account and the labour and Employment department has already started opening bank accounts of labourers of the unorganised sector. RuPay cards would be activated and meetings would be called by banks to arrange debit, credit card, e-Pos machines' distribution in campaign mode.

Khare said that large-scale awareness campaign would be launched in the State during the programme. NSS, NCC and Panchayat Secretariat would run awareness campaigns. Also, local markets and villages would be covered by lED vans for the propagation of the message.

A decision has also been taken that all Deputy Commissioners would choose a Block to make it cashless and submit their reports by December 25 to the Government. On December 28 best bank, best DC, best block, and best panchayat would be felicitated by the Government.

It was also decided to provide proper bandwidth Internet connection at various places through mobile phones and Wi-Fi.

The CM, during the meetings, stressed on making mobile banking and Internet banking available to the common man. He said that mobile phones costing less than Rs 5,000 would be VAT exempted.

The 'Cashless Jharkhand' campaign would begin from Nagri block of Ranchi district from December 2 and would be started simultaneously across the State.

The CM said that cashless transactions would play a big role in a transparent system. This will not only ensure less common problems for the masses but will also pave way for the development of State he said.