PM unveils `Lucky Grahak Yojana’ and `Digi Dhan Vyapaar Yojana’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Saturday unveiled two schemes - Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapaar Yojana - for people who use digital payment methods including e-banking, mobile banking and e-wallets.

In his `Mann ki Baat' programme, he said there is "an atmosphere of curiosity" in the country as to what is cashless, how cashless business can take place and how one can make purchases without using cash.

"To encourage this trend, strengthen mobile banking and inculcate the habit of making e-payments, the government is launching from today encouragement schemes for consumers as well as traders. To encourage customers, the scheme is Lucky Grahak Yojana and to encourage traders, the scheme is Digi Dhan Vyapaar Yojana," he said.

Modi said that today as a Christmas gift, 15,000 people will get rewards through a draw system, whereby each of the 15,000 winners will have Rs 1,000 in their accounts.

"Starting today, this scheme will continue for the next 100 days. Everyday 15,000 people are going to receive rewards of Rs 1,000 each. In the next 100 days, lakhs of families are going to receive crores of rupees as gift, but you will be entitled to this gift only if you make use of mobile banking, e-banking, RuPay card, UPI, USSD - such means and methods of digital payment," he said.

The draw for rewards will be done based on use of such digital payment methods.

In addition, he said, there will be a grand draw once every week for such customers in which the prize money will be in lakhs of rupees.

On April 14, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar, there will be a mega bumper draw where rewards will be in crores of rupees.

Talking about the Digi Dhan Vyapaar Yojana, which is mainly for traders and businessmen, Modi said traders should adopt this scheme themselves and encourage their customers too in order to make their business cashless.

"Such traders will also be rewarded separately and there would be thousands of these rewards. The traders will run their business activities smoothly and will also have an opportunity to win rewards," the prime minister said.

He said this scheme has been designed keeping all sections of society in mind, with a special focus on the poor and the lower middle-class segments.

"Therefore, only those will get its benefits who make a purchase worth more than Rs 50 but less than Rs 3,000. Those who make purchases of more than Rs 3,000 will not be entitled to rewards under this scheme," he added.

A total of 15000 winners were selected under 4 broad categories (USSD, UPI, AEPS, RuPay) from the 8 crore digital transactions that took place between 9th November 2016 to 21st December 2016:

NPCI announced the winners of today's lucky draw will receive a message from their banks and the reward money will be credited into their bank accounts over the next 24 hours. Citizens may check if they have received the reward by logging on to: www.digidhanlucky.mygov.in .

In his opening remarks, Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog said, ''The government of India has taken a slew of steps to fight corruption and the menace of black money over the last two and a half years. It started with the creation of Jan Dhan Accounts and led to Aadhaar cards for all. India is also the only country that boasts of over 1 billion Aadhaar accounts and over a billion mobile users with access to RuPay cards. At least 70% of our population is under the age of 35. India is known for its IT infrastructure and its citizens are proficient in casting votes using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). It is just a matter of time before India is heralded into an era of development, that is, digital revolution.''

''Demonetisation has been one of the boldest steps taken by the Government of India to fight corruption. This will make economic transactions more accountable. I am happy to share that the volume of digital transactions in India has gone up by 300 – 350% since November 9th, 2016. This is an indicator of citizens' enthusiasm in embracing digital payment options,'' Kant Added.

Speaking on the occasion, Hon'ble Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley, said, ''The central Government's annual budget is around 20 lakh crore and 16 lakh crore has been this years' income. Half of this came from income tax and the remaining from other indirect taxes. To meet the deficit, the government must borrow and this leaves the country and the next generation in debt. We must ensure a strategic framework that works as a catalyst to India's economic growth and a safe digitized economy.''

''India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world despite the slowdown. India has huge potential to transform the economy in to a digital one. Of 125 crore people, 75 crore use credit and debit cards. Of these, 45 crore are active users. With incentive schemes like Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana, the Digital India movement will certainly strengthen the country's economic backbone,'' Jaitley emphasised.