In alignment with the Central Government “Digital India” initiative, the Maharashtra government has planned to go completely cashless. The state will soon stop allowing cash payments for all sorts of fees, taxes and fine from the citizens.
It will rather promote payments only through digital modes. The State Government has decided to initiate Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM)-Aadhaar Pay among the rural populace and in cities payments will be accepted through credit cards, debit cards and all existing modes of e-payments.
Through this, the state wants to work in sync with the Centre’s efforts of making India a cashless economy.
Digital transactions will be applicable to payments of property tax, stamp duty, fees for land transfer, license fees, fines, electricity bills etc. The State Government is all ready to adopt the cashless mode and the launch of this initiate will be seen in the next two-three months.
“The BHIM-Aadhaar Pay app links citizens’ Aadhaar number and fingerprint to complete a transaction in a safe and secure manner. To enable the transactions through the app, the government only needs a thumb impression, for which 1.40 lakh biometric machines have been procured. These will be installed in all the gram panchayats, tehsildar and collectorates to ensure cashless transactions,” said VK Gautam, Principal Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Maharashtra.
He further said that to complete the digital transactions in order to pay the dues, the concerned citizen will have to submit his Aadhaar details and the required amount in BHIM-Aadhaar Pay app. He will then have to provide his thump impressions to authenticate his biometric details to make the final submission of the payment.
“We will stop taking cash for all kind of payments — fees, fine and taxes being imposed by the state government — once machines are installed at government offices across the state,” Gautam said.
