Guwahati, Jan. 11: Khetri, located on the outskirts here, will become the first digital gaon panchayat in Assam.
Information technology minister Keshab Mahanta today said 13 villages of Khetri gaon panchayat would be connected by broadband Internet to promote e-governance under a pilot project taken up by his department.
The project is being implemented by introducing Wi-Fi connectivity using the existing infrastructure of BSNL and Assam Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (Amtron) to make the gaon panchayat fully Internet-enabled.
A total of 19 Wi-Fi devices have been installed to cover the 13 villages using BSNL towers and Amtron's optical fibre network and existing public utilities.
The Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL) is in the process of extending the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) in all gaon panchayats in the country. In Assam, around 1,000 gaon panchayats will be covered in the first phase, providing Internet bandwidth of 100Mbps.
"Demonetisation has given us an opportunity for cashless transactions and inclusive growth. The IT department will conduct awareness campaigns to promote cashless economy," Mahanta said during the inauguration of DigiDhan Mela at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra here today.
The two-day event, which was inaugurated by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, is being organised by the state IT department as apart of a drive by Niti Aayog to promote digital or cashless economy across the country.
Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the currency ban has come as a blessing for Assam as the tax collection state has increased post-demonetisation. "There has been a 13 per cent increase in our tax collection in November and 21 per cent in December," Sarma said.
He said post-demonetisation, 6,42,559 bank accounts were opened by tea garden workers.
Sonowal unveiled an e-wallet tokapoisa.in and an e-payment portal at the function.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation decision, Sonowal described it the best possible way to fight black money, corruption and terror funding.
He asked all deputy commissioners to organise an awareness campaign for cashless transactions. He said a DigiDhan Mela will also be held in Dibrugarh on February 3 and awareness campaigns will be organised in all gaon panchayats on January 22 to promote cashless transactions.
DoNER minister Jitendra Singh, Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, Niti Aayog adviser Jitendra Kumar, Assam agriculture minister Atul Bora, chief secretary V.K. Pipersenia and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
