Parliamentary Finance Panel Chief Defends UPI MDR Report Amid Opposition Row

Bhartruhari Mahtab, chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, defended the committee's report on Demands for Grants against criticism over its exploration of a revenue model for digital payments. The report had examined possible UPI Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) proposals.

Congress MP Manish Tewari rejected claims that opposition members supported the MDR proposals in the committee's findings. The government is currently exploring options for restoring MDR on certain UPI transactions as part of efforts to generate revenue from digital payments.

A new UPI MDR framework for merchant transactions is set to be implemented soon, marking a shift in the regulatory approach to digital payment charges.