Aadhaar Fees Only in Cash !

(Courtesy: NDTV.com)

Today, I visited the post office in our area (Bangalore) to update the demographic details in my Aadhaar records. For this service, I had to pay a fee of ₹75. I assumed I could make the payment using UPI, as it would avoid the inconvenience of handling change. However, the staff did not accept UPI payments and instead insisted on cash. There was even a notice displayed asking citizens to pay only in cash.

This appears contradictory to the very message the central government has been promoting over the past several years. Across the country, the government has been encouraging digital transformation in almost every sphere. Even Parliament has embraced paperless operations, and public services are increasingly becoming digital.

At the same time, in several places, citizens are being compelled to use digital payments. For example, toll booths no longer accept cash, making FASTag or digital payment mandatory for vehicle owners. This raises an important question: if the government is strongly pushing citizens toward digital transactions, why are certain government offices themselves unwilling to accept digital payments?

A similar situation can often be observed in supermarkets and retail stores. At billing counters, many customers—especially elderly people—become frustrated when they are informed, only at the last moment, that cash is not accepted. Imagine an elderly person standing patiently in a long queue, only to discover at the counter that the cash in hand is of no use. Such situations naturally create stress, confusion, and unnecessary arguments.

The issue here is not whether digital payments are good or bad. Digital systems are indeed useful and are the future in many ways. However, the real concern is about flexibility and inclusiveness. When one government department accepts only cash and another insists only on digital payments, citizens are left confused. Policies should aim to provide convenience, not create uncertainty.

My humble request to the government is simple: please allow both cash and digital modes of payment wherever possible. Citizens should have the freedom to choose the method that is most convenient for them. True progress lies not merely in digitization, but in creating systems that are practical, inclusive, and citizen-friendly.