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depends on cash payments. “While hotels don’tmakecashpayments,thesmallerbars still deal in cash. About 30 to 40 per cent of thepaymentsthatireceiveisincash,”hesays.

Atdeepeebar,whichistheonlyonewith a POS machine, 20 per cent of the transactionsareincash.“peoplefromruralareaspay in cash... But those who drink costly brands pay by debit or credit card. While we have hadthismachineforthelasttwoyears,cashless transactions were very rare before November 9,” says its owner, Hardik Sheth.

At ‘Honest Enterprise’, a general store nearby, cash transactions are the norm. “I submitted an application to SBI for a POS machine 25 days ago. But bank officials say it will take time. Accepting cheque payments for small amounts is inconvenient,” says its owner, Imran Vora.

Bipin Shah, the owner of ‘Suresh Stores’, a hardware and paints shop in Main Bazaar, says nine out of 10 transactions are in cash. The rest is in cheque, usually for high-value transactions.

At the ports department’s parking lot, the parking fees — Rs 10 for bikes, Rs 100 for trucks — are only in cash. “Who will give me a POS machine for collecting such paltry amounts,” says Kamlesh Bamaniya, who runs the parking space.

At the Diu Craft Mela, which began on December19,noneofthe20-oddstallshave theinfrastructuretofacilitatecashlesstransactions. “We have a contract with Diu Tourism, and so have to set up a stall for this mela.weareearningaboutrs3,000perday, whilewehavetopayaboutrs800totheorganisers,” says Gandhinagar-based Rajnibhai Shantilal, who has set up a stall.

At the lighthouse at the historic Diu Fort, Jagdish Rajput, a photographer, offers to click photographs of tourists and give instant printouts, for Rs 30 per copy. “I don’t know anything about card payments or Paytm,” he says.

The residents — a majority of them are fishermen — say they are a long way from

Daman District Collector Vikram Singh Malik admits that over 80 government departments are still using cash. “We have sought help from the central government. We have started an awareness drive, through door-to-door surveys, and also held meetings with different organisations like the Daman Wine Merchants Association, Local Traders Association, Vegetable Markets Association, and Auto-taxi Association about going cashless. Our duty is to create awareness, but we cannot force them,” says Malik.

Daman has about 60 liquor shops and over 260 bars and restaurants which serve liquor. Mahesh Patel, president of the Daman Wine Merchants Association, says only outsiders who buy at least a crate pay by card. “There is a shortage of POS machines. The consumers are mostly industrial workers, residents and tourists from South Gujarat,” he says.

Deputy Collector Karanjit Vadodariya says there are nearly 535 POS machines which are operational in Daman. “The change will not come overnight, but we are progressing,” he says.

Satyendra Singh, who owns a textile factory, says he has opened bank accounts for 400 workers. “Earlier, we would make cheque payments to the labour contractors, who would then withdraw the cash and distribute it,” he says.

Daman and Diu Administrator Praful Patel admits there is a shortage of POS machines, but adds that “less cash is cash less”. “We have contacted almost all the families and educated them about cashless transactions. We have educated people about Unitedpaymentinterfaceandhowtheycan make payments through their cellphones. Mostofthepeoplehavedebitcardsandthey are responding. For example, all the 60,000 electricity consumers have paid their bills through cashless transactions,” he says.

—WITHINPUTSFROM KAMAALSAIYEDINDAMAN