Meet Raju Patel, The New-Age Digital Beggar Who Accepts Money Via PhonePe | See Pics

The 40-year-old man gives people options to pay him via digital mode with a QR code placard around his neck and a digital tablet

Bettiah: We live in a digital world, and most of our relationships and businesses have moved online. More so, the pandemic further pushed many of our transactions to become cashless. Embracing the change, a beggar in Bihar has now gone digital and is accepting digital payments. Yes, 40-year-old Raju Patel, who asks for alms at Bettiah Railway Station gives people options to pay him via digital mode with a QR code placard around his neck and a digital tablet.

Speaking to ANI, Raju Patel said, “I accept digital payments, and it’s enough to get the work done and fill my stomach. I have been begging here since my childhood but I have changed the way of begging in this digital age.”

“After begging, I sleep at the station itself. I could not find any other way of livelihood. Many times, people refused to give alms saying that they did not have cash in smaller denominations. Many travellers said that in the era of e-wallets like pay-phones etc., there is no need to carry cash anymore. Due to this, I opened a bank account, and an e-wallet,” he added.

Patel who carries the e-wallet for begging said that most of the people still give alms in cash. However, some people also transfer money to his e-wallet.

He informed that the bank wanted his Aadhaar and PAN card for opening the bank account, so he got himself a PAN made as well to set the ball rolling. Consequently, Patel opened an account in the main branch of the State Bank of India in Bettiah and got an e-wallet made. Currently, he begs digitally around Bettiah railway station

Patel calls himself a follower of the former state chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and attended his programs, is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India Campaign. The digital beggar said that he never forgets to listen to PM Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme.

While many on the internet hailed him for his practical decision, others lamented that many people in India still have to beg for a living. One user said, ”Bhikhari is smart. You get a cashback for more than 50/. So, moving digital was a good profitable strategy for him.”

Another wrote, ”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.”

Bhikhari is smart. You get a cashback for more than 50/. So, moving digital was a good profitable strategy for him.

— Abhas Kumar Shrivastava (Chad)✨🇮🇳 (@abhas_rewcie) February 8, 2022

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

Digital India scheme has reached to grassroot level.

— Rohit Sharma (@IndianPatriiot) February 8, 2022

Woww India begging digitally..ache din finally 😍 https://t.co/nu5PgUnrTM

— Angry penguin loves federer (@aquibalam1) February 8, 2022

So he hold bank account also 😂😂 Don't be surprised if he has cryptos also https://t.co/DNEfqLtrVp

— anilprasad, (@anilnprasad) February 8, 2022

(With ANI inputs)