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Vodafone India soon plans to enable making NREGA payments through its newly launched M-Pesa , the mobile money transfer and payment service, it has created jointly with ICICI Bank

The service that is currently used mainly for money transfer , mobile re charges and DTH service subscriptions and utility bills is also designed to make payments to workers under NREGA schemes. ” We are in talks with agencies in Orissa and Chattisgarh for implementing this,” said Suresh Sethi, business head of M-Pesa, Vodafone India.

At the launch function of the service in Kerala, he said already the company has already notched up a million M-Pesa accounts in the country. ” In Delhi and Mumbai, people use it mainly for money transfers. However, in rural regions, it is used more for mobilephone recharges and DTH service subscriptions,” Suresh Sethi pointed out.

The service is designed to help people in rural areas who don’t have a bank account but have access to mobilephone. In Kerala , the company is focusing on migrant labour community comprising workers from Bihar, north east states, Orissa and UP, who are concentrated in places like Perumbavoor, Kazhakootam, Vadakara, Edavanna and Payyipad. The rail metro construction in Kochi and the plywood industry in Perumbavoor employ lot of migrant workers.

S Murali, business head, Kerala said Vodafone India has 65 lakh subscriber base in Kerala and is second in terms of revenue in the state accounting for 22per cent share.

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