Ahmedabad Goes Digital; Says No To 'Cash On Home Delivery' To Curb Covid-19 Spread

Ahmedabad civic authorities made is compulsory to accept digital mode of payments through Unified Payment Interface (UPI) or other platforms, with effect from May 15.

Authorities made is compulsory to accept digital mode of payments through UPI or similar mode. (Representative Image/ Getty)

Ahmedabad: As part of economic package during the complete lockdown announced amid surging Covid-19 cases, several states including Gujarat permitted home deliveries of essential goods. However, to maintain the norms of social distancing and to further curb the spread of deadly coronavirus, Gujarat government has taken a step further by adopting digital modes of payment. In an official statement on Monday, State Additional Chief Secretary Rajiv Kumar Gupta issued new guidelines to be followed during delivery of essential goods to doorsteps in Ahmedabad. The official stated that "Home delivery has been made mandatorily cashless in Ahmedabad to prevent spread of COVID-19 through currency notes."

Every delivery staff in Ahmedabad will compulsorily have to download Arogya Setu App on their mobiles: Gujarat Additional Chief Secy Rajiv Kumar Gupta #COVID19 https://t.co/4SA7oOGDgR

— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2020

As per the circular, the civic authorities made is compulsory to accept digital mode of payments through Unified Payment Interface (UPI) or other similar  platforms, with effect from May 15. As part of the home delivery protocol, the delivery staff on duty in Ahmedabad, will be issued a health card with a validity of seven days which needs to be renewed periodically. Each individual will have to use gloves, sanitation cap and sanitizers, apart from following social distancing norms. Additional Chief further mentioned that every delivery staff in Ahmedabad will compulsorily have to download Arogya Setu App on their mobiles. For the same, the government has made at least 100 teams that will go to 17,000 retails shops to get the online payment application installed in mobile phones, give technical support and in-turn, popularise payment through Unified Payment Interface. The move came in the wake of increasing number of Coronavirus cases in the state. After Maharashtra, Gujarat has continued to be the second worst-hit states, reporting 8,194 cases so far. Though 2,545 people have recovered from the disease, 493 people lost their lives.