Watch: No service charges on e-transactions through mobile phones, says Shaktikanta Das

To boost cash flow to agri sector and ease farmers' problem facing acute cash-crunch during Rabi crop sowing season,  Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das briefed media on new schemes by government after demonetisation exercise to help farmers. 

Here are the highlights:

#RBI announced certain relaxation y’day on E-wallets, enhancing the limit from Rs 10k to Rs 20K in respect of individuals

#Some of public & private sector banks & service providers agreed to waive service charges on use of debit cards up to Dec 31

#Indianrailways waives service charges on e-tickets booked till December 31 

#Government has taken steps to ease rural area problems like micro-atms, bank correspondents have been made available

#82,000 ATMs re-calibrated so far, only a matter of few days all the ATMs will be re-calibrated

#No service charge will be levied on digital financial transactions using features phones till Dec 31st '16 

#Public banks have said that there has been a surge in demand for usage of digital financial transactions

#Farmers allowed to buy seeds using old notes

#FM Arun Jaitley held video-conference call with NABARD & RBI; advised them to carry out whole chain of activities smoothly

#As far as RUPAY cards are concerned, all switching charges and other charges have been waived till December 31

#TRAI has reduced USSD charges from Rs. 1.50 to 50 paise for feature phones (not smartphones) - as feature phones comprise over 65% of all phones

#The government will also promote digital transactions at toll plazas. The Ministry of road transport have told manufacturers to include ETC complaint RFID facility in all new cars

#NABARD and RBI has been advised to ensure adequate cash supply is available to the DCCBs

#NABARD has sanctioned Rs 21,000 crore limit to district central cooperative bank

#For benefit of agricultural operations in current rabi season, NABARD has sanctioned a credit limit of ₹ 23,000 cr to DCCBs