KT Rama Rao the IT Minister has launched the T-Wallet as an “anytime anywhere digital payment option for everyone” on Thursday. The government wanted to issue the app within a few weeks after the demonetisation last year, but it got delayed due to various reasons like the Centre launching a similar app, BHIM.
According to officials the USP of T-Wallet is its nominal costs for private transactions and zero charges for paying electricity and water bills, property taxes, RTA challans. This is first such initiative by any state government.
It may be recalled that NDA government, which launched BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) to promote e-payments, appealed to all states to take steps to promote digital transactions and Telangana government acted on it proactively.
Government officials stated that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao wanted the IT department to ensure that the app was user friendly and fully secure. Although directions were given in December, it took officials five months to make it fully operational. The state government also got clearance from the RBI to launch the e-payment facility.
Authorities said the service could be used in Telugu, Urdu and English both on mobile phones and on online web browser. Citizens, who do not have smartphones, can go to Mee Seva centres to open T-Wallet, load money and make payments.
All government departments are being made part of T-Wallet in the first phase. Services would be extended to different sectors by tying up with reputed private players. “As our motto is service without worrying about profits or making money, T-Wallet will not be charging extra money on payments as being done by other payment wallets,” an official said.
