Google Pay, Phone Pe two 'ticking' time bombs, says LS member Supriya Sule
New Delhi, Feb 9: NCP MP Supriya Sule on Friday alleged that apps like Google Pay and Phone Pe are "two ticking time bombs" and sought to know what steps the government is taking to check money laundering.
Participating in a discussion on 'The White Paper on Indian economy' in Lok Sabha, Sule said whatever happened in Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) is "very alarming" and is almost like money laundering.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last month directed PPBL to stop accepting deposits or top-ups in customer accounts, wallets, FASTags and other instruments after February 29.
The RBI said persistent non-compliance by Paytm with regulatory guidelines despite nudges over a period of time ultimately led to stern action against the fintech.
"Google Pay, Phone Pe are two sitting time bombs. BHIM app is hardly used while Google Pay and Phone Pe apps are used (widely). What is the government doing on digital or cashless economy?" Sule said.
JMM leader Vijay Kumar Hansdak accused the government of misusing ED, CBI and Income Tax against opposition MPs.
Hansdak said a white paper should be brought on the misuse of central agencies.
"Their (BJP) government is running because of ED. Otherwise they won't be able to win elections," Hansdak, who represents the Rajmahal constituency of Jharkhand in the Lok Sabha, said.
BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal said the corruption seen in the 10 years of UPA government was unprecedented. During UPA's tenure, people would take loans and forget about returning it, he said.
Participating in the debate, Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) said the white paper is more rhetoric than substance.
He urged the government to explain why average growth was higher at 6.8 per cent during the 10 years of UPA while during the NDA period it is 5.9 per cent.
In case of fiscal deficit as the percentage of GDP, average was 4.7 per cent during UPA rule, but it is 5.1 per cent under the 10 years of NDA.
Average inflation rate was 8 per cent, which came down to 5 per cent during the NDA government that came to power in 2014.
Owaisi also said the NDA government got the benefit of favourable crude oil prices and urged the government to tell the country how demonetisation adversely impacted the country's poor.
IUML MP E T Mohammed Basheer said, "This paper is for BJP, by the BJP, of the BJP and for the election of BJP."
He further said that the Congress-led UPA government brought various important legislations like Right to Information, Right to Education, and introduced MNREGA for welfare of the poor people.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
