Mayawati opposes proposed UPI charges, says additional burden will hit common people

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday expressed concern over the proposed increase in UPI charges, saying that imposing an additional financial burden on the public would ultimately hurt common people and increase their expenses.

This comes as, starting October 15, India will introduce a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, which is to be absorbed by businesses rather than everyday consumers.

Mayawati took to social media platform X and said that although the proposed system may not be officially accepted as a ‘tax’, giving it any other name would not change its impact on the public.

“After initially promoting UPI digital transactions, the government’s new system of charging fees on such transactions appears to people to be akin to a profiteering capitalist tax, which is understandable and likely to cause public unease and anger,” she said.

“While this system of imposing additional financial burden on the public is not accepted as a “tax,” no matter what name is given to this system, which will be implemented on October 15th, it will ultimately be the common people who will be hit hard, and their expenses will increase,” Mayawati said in her post.

She further said that a large section of the country’s population continues to face poverty and inflation, while their children struggle with illiteracy, unemployment and uncertainty.

“Furthermore, it is well known that the majority of the country’s population is suffering from immense poverty and skyrocketing inflation, and their children are suffering from illiteracy, unemployment, and chaos. In such a situation, it would be appropriate if the government’s policies and actions are less commercial and more welfare-oriented. If the government doesn’t care about the hardships and suffering of the people, then who will?” she said.

Mayawati also welcomed the Uttar Pradesh government’s announcement to convert around 14,500 schools in the state into ‘smart schools’ at a cost of around Rs 300 crore.

“Along with this, the announcement by the UP government to convert around 14,500 schools of the state into ‘smart schools’ at a cost of around Rs 300 crore is a good thing, but before imparting so-called ‘smart education’ to the children, their basic education needs, etc., should be fulfilled, i.e., proper arrangements for a roof over the heads of school children, benches, chairs, books, toilets, playgrounds, cleanliness etc. and the government should also sympathetically consider whether all this will be possible in around Rs 2 lakh per school,” she said in the post.

IANS