Toilets can wait! Village lacking basics declared first 'cashless' tribal hamlet

This tribal colony at Nilambur in Malappuram lacks proper toilets and other basic amenities. The living conditions of the poverty-stricken hamlet are no better than any other underdeveloped tribal hamlets in the country. Nevertheless, the impoverished colony set a record of sorts on Tuesday by becoming the first tribal settlement in the country to go cashless! 

On Tuesday, a team of people’s representatives and bureaucrats headed by Rajya Sabha MP P V Abdul Wahab MP visited the hamlet and made the tribespeople send Rs.5 using smartphones to the district collector’s account. Collector Amit Meena, who was present at the occasion, reciprocated by sending back Rs.25. With this, the village was formally declared the first tribal colony to go cashless and digital!

Ahead of the landmark proclamation, the villagers underwent a weeklong training under the aegis of Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), an NGO, in the cashless money transaction and digital literacy. Arrangements have been made to provide lessons in digital literacy to the villagers.  The NGO also provides computer and Wifi facilities at the community centre in the colony.  

 Speaking at the occasion, Wahab promised that the cashless programme would be extended to other tribal hamlets in the area. 

But the irony is that the primitive tribes in Karulayi and surrounding forest areas are traditionally ‘cashless’ and a good number of them follow barter system. 

• Cashless
• Cashless Kerala
• digital money transaction
• Karulayi
• Kerala tribes
• Swachh Bharat Mission