Shillong, Feb. 3: Meghalaya's move to build a digital payments ecosystem is still uncertain, thanks to certain constraints, including poor Internet connectivity.

Notwithstanding these hurdles, the hill state is making attempts to promote and encourage digital payments among consumers and merchants in the state.

To push the system forward, the state government, in collaboration with the Niti Aayog and the Union ministry of electronics and information technology, is organising a one-day DigiDhan Mela under the Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana on the premises of the state central library here from 10am on Tuesday.

Union minister for railways Rajen Gohain will also attend the main function atthe fair at 3.30pm. State IT minister Ampareen Lyngdoh will also be present.

Addressing a press conference here today, Meghalaya chief secretary K.S. Kropha said the mela aimed at encouraging consumers and merchants to shift to digital payment methods and urged people to participate in it.

But Kropha was quick to admit the constraints faced by the state. "While digital payments in other states is moving in a big way, we have constraints, particularly connectivity," he said. While admitting poor banking facilities, especially in rural areas, he said banks were using their business correspondence to help teach customers about digital transactions.

The only hope for Meghalaya in the National Optical Fibre Network or Bharatnet project being rolled out by BSNL to connect 2,50,000 gram panchayats across the country. But under Bharatnet, BSNL will cover only around 44 villages in Meghalaya. "We hope that the identified villages will be connected by optical fibre network by the end of this year, under the ambitious plan of the BSNL," Kropha said.

Asked how the government would convince people in Meghalaya to go cashless, the chief secretary said it would not be easy to fully shift people to a cashless society, but the government would encourage the use of "less cash".

Meghalaya commissioner (IT), Donald Philips Wahlang, said people with smartphones can transact digitally if they have access to Internet.

According to Wahlang, digital outreach programmes would be also be rolled out in various districts of the state.

Wahlang also said the state IT department would come up with a state digital policy which will focus on infrastructure, particularly setting up of mobile towers to improve connectivity across the state. It will also set up 775 additional common service centres (CSCs) across the state by March 2018. Currently, there are 225 CSCs in the state.

The mela will have around 50 stalls. Banks, common service centres and private digital payment service providers will participate in the event.

At the fair, the public will get assistance in learning about digital payment mechanisms, communication regarding e-governance services, e-wallet services and mobile wallets. Awareness will also be spread on services provided by banks like registration of point of sale (PoS) machines, opening bank accounts, registration/distribution of debit/prepaid cards, seeding of Aadhar and mobile numbers with bank accounts and assistance and training in the installation and usage of bank wallets and other applications.