New Delhi, Aug. 6 -- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit back at Jairam Ramesh over the Congress leader's criticism of the Taxation and Other Laws Amendment Bill. The new bill proposes amending Section 10A of the Payment Act.

This would replace fixed zero-MDR rules for UPI and RuPay. Instead, the government would gain notification powers.

Jairam Ramesh argued that it ended statutory fee-free protection for users. He warned that it could indirectly burden customers financially.

He cited RBI's Rs.2.86 lakh crore surplus transfer for 2025-26. This, he claimed, could fund UPI infrastructure without charges.

"The Modi government's claim that this is the only way to keep UPI financially sustainable is entirely wrong. The Reserve Bank of...