'Govt can't subsidise everything': Niti VC's 'bees & honey' defence for UPI charges

NEW DELHI: NITI Aayog vice chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri on Wednesday defended the Centre’s decision to introduce a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on high-value UPI transactions, saying businesses must find ways to become self-sustaining rather than depend on government subsidies.Quoting ancient Indian teacher and philosopher Chanakya, Lahiri said a ruler should collect taxes from citizens as a bee collects honey from a flower — “gently, gradually, and without inflicting pain or bruising the petals”.“So you have to find ways of sustaining businesses without having to give subsidy,” Lahiri told reporters on the sidelines of an event, clarifying that this was his personal view and not NITI Aayog’s official position.The remarks came a day after the government announced that a 0.4 per cent MDR would apply from October 15 to UPI payments of more than Rs 2,000 made to merchants.