Manipur's Karang is India's first cashless island
PM Narendra Modi handed out awards to bureaucrats yesterday for efficient implementation of select government programs, including Digital India. In the latter, the remote Karang island of Manipur, cut off from the mainland due to insurgency for a long time, took the prize: presently, 97% of electricity bills there are paid digitally. Awards were also given out for implementation of housing, crop insurance and employment schemes.
According to the award citation, Karang officials provided incentives for training towards digital payments, and installed five POS machines on the island. To spread awareness and mobilize the community, authorities used social media, roped in self-help groups and youth clubs, and launched an online channel. Resultantly, 92% of bank accounts are seeded with mobile and 70% with Aadhaar. The Karang deputy commissioner was awarded.
Kangra district (Himachal Pradesh) and Neemuch (MP) were awarded for the best implementation of the Rural chapter of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, which aims at providing housing to all. In the Urban chapter, Puducherry and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Telangana, got the PM's award. Dhemaji (Assam) and Karimnagar (Telangana) were awarded for the 'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana', which provides employment to the needy.
West Tripura and Beed (Maharashtra) were recognized for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a crop-insurance scheme. Daman and Sonipat (Haryana) were honored for popularizing electronic payments. Banka (Bihar) was awarded for using technology to reinvent education and for implementation of GST. Officers were also appreciated for innovation in "ease of doing business" and "information, education and communication of Swachh Bharat Mission."
