NEW DELHI: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said that about 10 lakh consumers and merchants have been awarded over Rs 153.5 crore in the last 58 days as part of the campaign to promote digital transactions.
Kant also stated that the BHIM App download has crossed the 17 million mark, while NITI Aayog is mulling coming up with cash back schemes to give a further boost to the use of the mobile application.
Speaking to reporters, Kant said that the response of the consumers and merchants to the digital transactions through the twin schemes - Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana - has been phenomenal.
“It has been 58 days since the launch of the two schemes. We are highly encouraged with the response to the two schemes in such a short span of time,” added Kant.
The NITI Aayog CEO, while quoting the data from National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which was entrusted with the task to implement the two schemes, said that about 10 lakh consumers and merchants have been disbursed over Rs 153.5 crore as reward money till February 20. He added that 9.8 lakh winners include 9.2 lakh consumers and 56,000 merchants.
“The winners come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. They are farmers, merchants, small entrepreneurs, professionals, housewives, students and retired persons. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi are the top five states and Union Territory with a maximum number of winners. Most of the winners are in the age group of 21-30, while some are even above 60 years of age," the NITI Aayog stated in a media statement.