SHILLONG, Feb 4 - Meghalaya�s State Capital here would be one of the 100 cities across India to hold a fair on digital transaction, but authorities say the State faces major challenges to undertake such transactions with poor Internet-mobile connectivity.
State Chief Secretary KS Kropha briefing the media on Friday said the State Capital would be holding Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana on February 7 and Union Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain, amongst others, would attend the event.
�We have major challenges to undertake such transactions in the region and the State in particular, with poor Internet and mobile network connectivity,� Kropha said. Additionally, just 60 per cent of the population have mobile phones.
Nonetheless, he said, the DigiDhan fair would provide an opportunity for the banks and mobile wallet companies to demonstrate and explain to the people how such transactions could be undertaken.
The administration is inviting merchants, farmers, buyers and sellers to the fair to be held at the State Central Library. He said, some of the major banks have confirmed their participation in the fair, including, mobile wallet and other companies.
Asked how the State Government would overcome the challenges, Kropha said that in recent meetings with the BSNL, the emphasis has been made to have better mobile and internet connectivity in the State.
The BSNL is also embarking on a plan to provide connectivity to cluster villages in the State with broadband services with 10 MBPS Internet speed. The BSNL, he informed, is re-equipping itself with some modern infrastructure and technologies.
State Bank of India, on the other hand, has distributed 2,669 Point of Sale or Swipe machines to merchants across the State recently. The bank is also trying to reach out to remote villages through business correspondents.
He further added, the emphasis is also on Government departments to undertake cashless transactions and so far Taxation and Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited have installed facilities for online transactions. Moreover, the Government has launched e-services to issue Scheduled Caste certificates online, as a pilot project from January 21 this year in East Khasi Hills district.
So far, 20,000 certificates have been issued through the online mode and the model is being expanded to Ri-Bhoi district in which three certificates were issued yesterday.
Meanwhile, the State Government has drafted a Digital policy which would spell out the broad outlines, where and how a mobile network tower can be established and issues related to such towers.