New Delhi: NITI Aayog on December 15 had announced the launch of two schemes 'Lucky Grahak Yojana' and the 'Digi-Dhan Vyapari Yojana' to give cash awards to consumers and merchants who utilize digital payment instruments for personal consumption expenditures.


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The schemes will become operational with the first draw on 25th December (as a Christmas gift to the nation) leading up to a mega draw on Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti on 14th April next year.


The schemes specially focus on bringing the poor, lower middle class and small businesses into the digital payment fold.


The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) will be the implementing agency for this scheme.  


The primary aim of these schemes is to incentivize digital transactions so that electronic payments are adopted by all sections of the society, especially the poor and the middle class. Government has initiated numerous steps to combat scourge of corruption and black money in last two and a half years, Amitabh Kant added.


Key highlights of these two schemes:


-Two major schemes - Lucky Grahak Yojana & Digi-Dhan Vyapari Yojana - will be launched on Dec 25th (on Christmas).


-NPCI will announce 15,000 winners of Rs 1000 each for next 100 days, starting from Dec 25th.


-Daily, weekly and mega awards up to Rs 1 crore for consumers and merchants using digital payments.


-Both schemes will cover small transactions between Rs 50 and Rs 3000 to encourage every section of the society to move to digital payments.


-Rs 7,000 weekly awards, max award of Rs 50,000 each for merchants, under Digi-Dhan Vyapari Yojana.


-Mega awards also up for grabs under Lucky Grahak Yojana & Digi-Dhan Vyapari Yojana to be announced on 14th April.


-Estimated expenditure of the scheme: Rs 340 crore.