2 villages in Gujrat and Maharashtra setting example of cashless economy

Gujrat's Akodara village and Maharashtra's Dhasai village are setting an exemplary example of cashless economy, a lesson that the whole India needs after demonetisation. 

 

Akodara, Sabarkantha district: 

 

90 km away from Ahmedabad, this tiny village from PM Modi's own state has been adopted by ICICI bank in 2015 and now, this village has the digital technology to operate without cash. 

 

In this cashless village, all the local transaction happens through net banking, card payments and mobile banking. There are 250 households in the village, and everyone has savings accounts. From a total of 1,191 adults, 1,036 has their own saving accounts and the bank gives proper training for digital transactions.

 

This village has just one ATM, and it is used by the neighbouring village population to withdraw money. 

 

With almost 100% literacy rate, this village has comfortably adjusted to the digital way of the economy. 

 

The ICICI bank has enabled this village with internet connectivity and other facilities including school automation, a village website, a digital screen for commodity prices at its branch and skill development workshops for women. 

 

Dhasai village, Thane district: 

 

70 km away from Mumbai’s Fort-Nariman Point, post demonetisation this village has been adopting various means to facilitate digital transactions in all daily matters. 

 

From Vada Pav to any other transaction is done through using debit or credit card in Dhasai which has a big market that operates as the financial hub of more than 60 neighbouring villages. 

 

The population of this village is about 10,000 and most of them has bank accounts under the Jan Dhan scheme and has debit cards. The population of surrounding villages also have Jan Dhan accounts making them suitable for digital transactions. 

 

As per the Deccan Herald report, Bank of Baroda and Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak is making special efforts to bring more card swiping machines to the village to minimise the use of cash. The effort is to make this village a sustainable model for digital transactions.