Bihar's Bettiah Railway Station beggar joins digital revolution, accepts alms online

With the world heading towards a digital economy, most of our transactions and businesses have shifted online. Cashless payment gained further currency following the outbreak of the pandemic, which necessitated social distancing.

Forty-year-old Raju Patel, who asks begs at Bihar’s Bettiah Railway Station, seems to have embraced this growing change by now accepting alms online.

Bihar | Raju Patel, a beggar in Bettiah, goes digital; accepts PhonePe & puts a QR code around his neck

"I accept digital payments, it's enough to get the work done & fill my stomach," said Raju Patel

Visuals from Bettiah railway station pic.twitter.com/nbw83uXop6

— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2022

The man has a QR code hanging around his neck that gives people the option to pay their alms online. Patel also has a digital tablet, which he carries along with him to accept the online payments.

As reported by news agency ANI, the man used to attend programmes of the former chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and called himself his follower. But Patel is now inspired by the current prime minister, Narendra Modi, and his Digital India campaign. He never fails to listen to Modi’s radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

Speaking to ANI, Patel said that he has been begging at the Bettiah Railway Station since childhood and decided to change his way of begging in the digital age. “I accept digital payments, and it’s enough to get the work done and fill my stomach”, said Patel.

The 40-year-old further added that he could not find any other livelihood and sleeps at the station as well. His decision to go digital came after many people refused to give him alms by saying that they did not have cash in smaller denominations.

But in order to go cashless, the man had to open a bank account and also an e-wallet. Furthermore, to open a bank account, Patel acquired Aadhaar and PAN cards. The digital beggar now has a bank account in the main branch of State Bank of India in the city of Bettiah.

Soon after _ANI’_s tweet grabbed attention on social media, netizens’ comments and opinions poured in. An internet user wrote, “Digital India scheme has reached to grass root level” (sic), whereas another commented, “Power of digitization and sign of things to come”.

Take a look at some more tweets here:

Its both good and bad. Good that digitisation has reached masses. Bad that govt is not doing enough to reduce beggary, giving jobs and these people themselves feel content with begging and not doing something for themselves to get out of it and brighten their future.

— _memyself_ (@keepinitomyself) February 8, 2022

I do not understand why people give money to beggars? Buy from a local seller. Do not bargain with the bhaajiwali. If you want to help the poor, eat at a thela and drink chai or narialpaani. Use a local tailor. Buy mud diyas. Just stop giving money to beggars.

— Priya Samagod (@priyasamagod) February 8, 2022

I don't know weather to laugh or cry after reading this. I slightly am inclined to cry more than laugh. 😐

— Sunil (@sunil_sachin) February 8, 2022

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