India, Sept. 17 -- Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday appeared to back the decision to impose a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions exceeding Rs.2,000 but also urged the government to ensure they are not passed on to customers.

In a media interaction in Srinagar, Abdullah said that as per his understanding, operating the UPI system in India costs a lot. "Also, the truth is that we often fail to properly appreciate things we get for free," he added.

However, the National Conference leader also urged the government to ensure that the cost of this charge doesn't fall in consumers.

A day later, Abdullah reiterated support for the merchant fee, stating that businesses and not people will be charged...