Associations and unions asked to open bank accounts of workforce

Hailakandi, Dec 14: After attaining cent per cent success in opening up of bank accounts of tea garden workers, the Hailakandi district administration has upped its ante to bring into the fold the large workforce under different associations and establishments as a step towards less cash or cashless economy and digital payments to help shore up tax revenues and check evasions.

In a latest directive issued by the District Labour Office, the merchants’ association, the drug dealers’ association, sumo, cruiser and max owners’ association, travellers and bus owners’ association, district contractors welfare association, the Barak Valley goods handling mazdoor union and shops and establishment workers’ association have been asked to open bank accounts of the personnel engaged by them with immediate effect, stated a press release. “The move to make payments through bank accounts is aimed at encouraging cashless transactions and to increase transparency,” said Alimuddin Barbhuiya, District Labour Officer.

In another move, the District Labour Office has asked the trade and labour unions to open basic savings bank deposit accounts of registered construction workers under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yoja and to initiate steps to enroll their mes under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yoja and Pradhan Mantri Jibanjyoti Bima Yoja.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Moloy Bora said the administration, in line with the policy of the Government of India and Government of Assam, had taken a slew of initiatives towards ensuring a less cash and cashless transactions. Bora said the administration had been creating awareness among the citizens, especially women, students, vendors and small business owners on the benefits of using digital fincial tools like e-wallet, Paytm, POS, unified payments interface (UPI), among others.

The Deputy Commissioner further revealed that steps were on the anvil to provide effective training to all gaon panchayats and ward-wise training programme to PRIs and other public representatives as well as beneficiary-oriented programmes for government scheme-linked beneficiaries.

Bora said the administration in association with the local media fraternity would go on a publicity drive in a big way through print, electronic and other social media tools, appealing to the people to embrace less cash or cashless economy in a more inclusive way to weed out corruption and to ensure transparency in all monetary transactions.