Haryana farmer among 7.6 lakh to win govt lottery for going digital

NEW DELHI: Within a month of making digital payments for the first time, Isham Singh, a 66-year-old farmer in Karnal (Haryana), has won a `1 lakh worth government lottery.

Singh is among the 7.6 lakh people who won money in the NDA government-backed lucky draw scheme to push digital payments.

The lottery scheme, launched in December 2016 by NITI Aayog, seeks to provide incentives to people to go cashless.

“Isham Singh was introduced to digital payments only a month before he won the lucky draw,” said a government press release. The government has so far spent `117 crore as prizes for embracing Digital Payments.

The scheme was launched even as PM Narenda Modi faced all-round criticism from his opponents and a section of economists for banning 500- and 1,000rupee notes. The government data shows that Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are the top five states with maximum number of winners. It also reveals most of the winners are in the age group of 21 to 30 years.

Ninety consumers have won individual jackpot of `1 lakh.