On a day-long tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India could not lag behind the digital currency era and took a dig at the critiques of digital reformation.
Modi was speaking at a public meeting at Ujire near costal town in Mangaluru. He also visited the shrine of Manjunatha in Dharmasthala.
Maintaining that digitisation was aimed at bringing in accountability, he said that more cash would bring with it social evils.
The Prime Minister also hit out at people who saw themselves as "Tees Maar Khan"-a colloquial phrase used for those who pretend to be smart or heroic-and had been sceptical of digital transactions.
"last November, December and January, stalwarts made speeches in the Parliament. If you haven't heard them, hear them. These stalwarts who see themselves as "Tees Maar Khan", those who think themselves as the epitome of knowledge, used to say that in India there is poverty, lack of education, how can digital transaction work," Modi said.
He heaped praise on the Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, where he symbolically presented a beneficiary with a RuPay card, an Indian version of a credit or debit card.
Under the project, managed by the Dharmadhikari of Dharmastala, Veerendra Heggade, about 12 lakh Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojan account holders would benefit from the RuPay card.
"Our mothers and sisters who live in villages, whether they are educated or not, have taken a pledge. Twelve lakh people have taken a pledge that they will transact their self-help group related business cashless; they will go with digital transaction, with RuPay card he said.
Highlighting the direct benefit transfer scheme, Modi said because of the Government's efforts, Rs 57,000 crore "going into someone's hand illegally" had been stopped and the money was now reaching the right beneficiary.
"Now tell me, those people in whose pocket the Rs 57,000 crore used to go to, will they like ModiIJ Will they not get angry with ModiIJ
Difficulties will come, but standing at this holy place I'm saying whether we are there or not, we will not let this country be destroyed," he said.
Speaking on skill development, Modi said, "In this 21st century, developed counties of the world are also discussing skill development. It is regarded as a prime sector."
Pointing out that India took pride for its demographic dividend of having 800 million people, or 65 per cent of its population, below the age of 35, he said skill development should not only be used for meeting basic needs such as food but also for ensuring that the dreams of the country were fulfilled.
later, the Prime Minister spoke in another programme in Bengaluru and also at Bidar in North Karnataka.