Bhopal: The state capital has secured first rank in promotion of digital payment among 100 smart cities. The Union government had initiated digital payment challenge wherein the 100 smart cities had to prove their mettle in its promotion. Among other smart cities of the state, only Ujjain managed to make it to the prestigious list.
On Tuesday, Bhopal bagged the best ‘digital payment adopter’ rank. As part of preparation, Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited (BSCDCL) had organised campaigns in busy markets. Besides, digital bank bazaars were also organised and retailers were asked to use swipe machines for payment. In fact shopkeepers were encouraged to offer discount to a customer if one opted for digital mode of payment.
The other cities that made their way into the list include Amravati, New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Pune on the basis of their population. The Centre had been monitoring petroleum, civil aviation, postal, railway, transport, telecom and electricity sectors to ascertain as to whether payments were being made through digital mode or traditional methods. The Bhim app and other initiatives were also praised by the government as these helped in promotion of digitial work. The survey was done in two rounds with 72 and 65 smart cities included in their list.