Two Years After Demonetisation, MP's First Cashless Village Goes Back To Being Cash Only

For Badjhiri, two years after it won the tag of first digital village in the state, it is back to square one. Cash transactions are the usual thing in the village again like it was before it became a 'digital village'.

Badjhiri in Bhopal district was adopted by Bank of Baroda (BoB) immediately after demonetisation on November 8, 2016, claiming that it was the state's first digital village.

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State finance minister Jayant Malaiya had declared it a digital village. The bank installed an express lobby along with an ATM, passbook printer and cash deposit machine in the village to promote cashless purchases. Digital literacy camps were to be organised, but were stopped a few months later.

More than 12 POS machines, distributed to shopkeepers across the village, are now gathering dust. Villagers do not want to have anything to do with cashless payment.

Shopkeepers told TOI there was major movement of bank and government officials in Badhjhiri for two or three months after it was declared digital village. Then, it all died down. When TOI asked a shopkeeper about paying by card, he said, "Use plastic in Bhopal. Here, only cash payment is option is available," said a shopkeeper.

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Ask him about POS machine and pat comes the reply, "I do not know where I have put my POS machine. For more than a year, shopkeepers stopped using it. If you still insist, I will not sell cashless."

Asked what went against cashless payment, another shopkeeper replied, "Who will pay 2% charge on the bill? Are you ready? There is hardly anyone who makes purchases by card here. Most buyers are villagers, who can't be forced to pay 2% extra."

Of 30 shops in the village, none has POS machine. "Borrowing is rampant here. Using POS is just impossible. Forget cashless payment, here villagers hardly have money. We need bank loans, money for school, hospital and regular electricity. Without this, cashless or digital village does not make any sense."

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When contacted, BoB Bhopal regional manager RC Yadav said, "Our e-lobby is functional there. Sometime, there may be issues in putting the money on time. Otherwise, there is no other issue."

He, however, admitted the awareness camp for cashless payment was stopped for long time in Badjhiri. "Awareness about the cashless payment is a big challenge in Badjhiri. Unfortunately, camps were not organised for long time there. We will soon resume such camps."