Digital payment can check black money, graft: PM

Digital payment can check black money and play a key role in fighting graft, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today as he asked the youth to become an "anti-corruption cadre" as part of the "cleanliness" drive.

Addressing his monthly 'Mann ki baat' radio programme, he said people, especially the youth, should become ambassadors of digital payment schemes rolled out by the government.

"Lead this movement. Take it further as it has a very major and prominent role in the fight against corruption and black money. To me, each and every individual involved in this mission constitutes a new anti-corruption cadre in the country. In a way you are a soldier in the cause of cleanliness and purity," the Prime Minister said.

He said gradually people are "shedding their hard currency mindset" and moving towards digital currency and the youth are leading the way using their mobile phones as the new tool to make and receive payments.

In the last two months, 10 lakh people have been rewarded, over 50,000 traders have won prizes and an amount of over Rs 150 crore has been earned as prize money by people who have promoted and carried forward the digital payment campaign, Modi said.

He said the digital payment schemes will complete 100 days on April 14, the 126th birth anniversary of B R Amdedkar and people should help 125 people download the Bhim application on their mobile phone for digital transactions.

Referring to his favourite Swachh Bharat campaign, he said "psychological barrier" should not come in the way even while cleaning toilets. Some senior bureaucrats had recently demonstrated on how to clean a 'twin pit' toilet, he said.

"They also displayed as to how convenient these new technique toilets are and that there is absolutely no inconvenience and there should be no hesitation in emptying or cleaning these toilets and even the psychological barrier should not come in the way at all," he said.

Modi also used the opportunity to congratulate 'divyang' (physically challenged) players for defeating Pakistan in the final of the Blind T-20 World Cup.

Referring to the role of women, he said be it the field of sports or space science, they lag behind in none.

The 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' programme is no longer just a government programme, but has become a campaign of societal empathy and public education, he said.

"This, I believe, is a healthy sign," he added.