J&K CM Omar Abdullah backs Centre on UPI charges

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah backed the Centre on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) over a levy for UPI transactions, saying maintaining and operating the digital-payment infrastructure is not cheap, but cautioned the government to protect retail consumers.

"This charge is not being levied on everyone. First of all, person-to-person money transfers carry no charge. Then, individual consumers will not be charged unless they cross a specific ceiling," Mr. Abdullah told reporters here.

Asserting that maintaining and operating the UPI infrastructure is not cheap, the Chief Minister said it takes a substantial amount of money to run the payment system.