UDUPI: Health minister K R Ramesh Kumar launched a cashless system at Kottathatu gram panchayat (GP) on Sunday. It will be the first GP in the state to be declared entirely cashless. From paying bills to filing applications for licences, arrangements have been made to encourage villagers to use digital modes of payment.Kottathatu GP has a population of 5,523 people. Its elected leaders, including the panchayat president, conducted a survey to find out the exact number of debit card holders within their purview. They found of the 1,032 families, 200 did not have debit cards, while 80 did not have bank accounts. The members took steps to address the problem and now, all households within the GP limits have debit cards."Kottathatu GP will be a model for other panchayats in the state. The elected representatives took initiative in this endeavour, and that is admirable. I'll urge minister for rural development and panchayat raj HK Patil to send officials here to file a report on the cashless system. Soon, each district will have two model GPs," Ramesh Kumar said.

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