Demonetisation was a pre-planned move: Sumitra Mahajan

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today said that demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency was a pre-planned move especially in view of the steps initiated by the Narendra Modi government like the drive to open new Jan-Dhan accounts and direct benefit transfer.

"It is being said in discussions that the decision to demonetise currency notes was taken suddenly. But, if we look at the chain of events then it seems that the government had planned it long back," Mahajan told the gathering while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Digi-Dhan Mela.

She said that the Centre was emphasizing on opening bank accounts of all the countrymen under Jan-Dhan scheme long back.

The government was also saying that the wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme would be deposited directly into the bank accounts.

"All these moves indicated that the government was considering reduction in the use of currency notes and pushing forward provisions of digital economy," she added.

While sharing her personal conversation with Narendra Modi, Mahajan said the Prime Minister had recently told her that he wanted an arrangement wherein someone after having a 'Paan' from a shop at Rajwada square could pay through a digital transaction.

She said that the PM had told her that this could be a possibility, if some efforts were made in this direction.

Lok Sabha Speaker said the black money could easily be identified by increasing use of digital transactions. Besides, there would no scope of bungling in the financial assistance given to beneficiaries of government schemes, she added.

She urged the people to ask for a bill during the purchase of goods.

"It was estimated during a study recently that only five per cent increase in the cashless transactions would bring in the revenue of Rs 85,000-core to the government," she added.

While taking a potshot at the previous UPA government, Union Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said the arrangement of digital transactions should have been implemented a long back.

"There were some practical problems but the people have accepted the step to invalidate the currency notes of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denominations," he added.

On the occasion, Mahajan and Kulaste honoured Indore's mayor Malini Gaud for taking innovative steps to encourage the digital transactions in local body.