MUMBAI: The government has saved Rs 36,000 crore in subsidies and benefits provided to the poor, during the last one year by plugging leakages through Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile trinity, commonly known as JAM, said Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday.
“We linked their (Jan Dhan) account with their Aadhar, mobile number and bank. By giving them all the pro-poor subsidies and benefits we have saved Rs 36,000 crore in the last one year because of application of digital technologies,” Prasad said addressing the inauguration of India International Trade Fair in New Delhi.
Observing that the government wishes “to bridge the digital divide,” Prasad said, India is “very soon” going to have 50 crore Internet landline and wireless connections. He further said, the government plans to connect 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats of India through optical fibre network.
“We are also going with a mass digital literacy programme of making 6 crore Indians digitally literate,” he said.