New Delhi: Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday said that the government has instructed about 1.5 post offices to supply cash in villages across the country. The move has been taken to ease the trouble the common people are facing in the wake of demonetisation.
"The new denomination notes has been made available in 1,55,000 post offices across the country to help rural people," Das said at a press conference in Delhi.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, or NABARD, has sanctioned Rs 21,000 crore rupees to cooperative banks for the benefit of farmers in view of the current Rabi sowing season, Das said, adding that additional credit will be sanctioned as and when needed.
The government has also advised NABARD and RBI to ensure that adequate cash is available in cooperative banks.
As the demonetisation has led to an increase in the use of plastic money in the country, the government has waived off the service charge on the use of debit cards and digital finance transactions in an attempt to give relief to the consumers.
"No service charge will be levied on digital financial transactions using feature phones and on use of debit cards up to December 31 to ensure greater penetration of digital transaction," Das said.
Service charge on online booking of railway tickets has also been waived off till December 31.
All government organisations have also been asked to use digital financial transactions to make payments to their employees, Das said.
Speaking on the recalibration of ATMs to dispense newly introduced Rs 2000 and Rs 500 notes, Das said 82,000 ATMs have been recalibrated so far. “Only a matter of few days all the ATMs will be re-calibrated,” he added.
