Want to Be a Lucky Grahak? Eat a Ladoo and Go Digital

The govt’s efforts to promote digital transactions through lucky draws & mega awards is going to cost us Rs 340 cr.

Newly appointed Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tewari had asked party cadre to distribute one ladoo per household to thank people for their “patience”. And now the government has announced “lucky draws” and “mega awards”. (Photo: Harsh Sahani/The Quint)

After the ladoos, here come “lucky draw prizes” and “mega awards” to promote digital transactions among cash-loving Indians.

The Union Finance Ministry on Thursday announced two schemes – Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi Dhan Vyapari Yojna – to promote cashless transactions among both consumers and merchants.

Shop and Win a Chance to Win Rs 1,000 a Day

NITI Aayog’s CEO Amitabh Kant announced that 15,000 lucky draw winners stand a chance to win Rs 1,000 each for 100 days starting 25 December.

The National Payments Corporation of India will identify and intimate the winners of the scheme, which will further push consumers towards digital payments, Amitabh Kant said.

The estimated expenditure of the scheme to incentivise digital payments will cost Rs 340 crore.

Also Read: Twitter Says ‘No Thanks’ to BJP’s Note Ban Special Ladoo Offer

What’s In It for the Merchant?

Under the newly launched Digi Dhan Vyapari Yojana, the government will distribute 7,000 awards, with a maximum award of Rs 50,000 each week.

Defending the Narendra Modi government’s efforts to combat the scourge of corruption and black money in the last two-and-a-half years, Amitabh Kant said, “the focus of Lucky Grahak and Digi-Dhan Yojana is on the poor, middle class and small businesses so as to bring them into the digital payments revolution.”

Also Read: Why Going Cashless Is Going to Be Tough in India

The Mega Award

There will also be a “Mega Award” for consumers and merchants who opt to go digital, which will be announced on 14 April 2017.

Under the Lucky Grahak Yojana, the mega award will be Rs 1 crore, Rs 50 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.

For merchants who opt for digital transactions, the mega awards will be Rs 50 lakh, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.

These cash prizes are going to cost the exchequer Rs 340 crore.

Also Read: The Men Behind Modi’s Digital Push

(With inputs from ANI)