NEW DELHI: As part of his regular review meetings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked his key officials to spread the “message that demonetisation is aimed at improving the ordinary citizen’s life”, that the broader aim of the radical policy goes beyond the economic rationale of targeting black money and terror financing. Senior bureaucrats will soon start addressing small, informal groups to “explain the message”.Less cash in circulation, the PM has told his team, will disincentivise criminal activities like robberies, kidnapping and drugand human- trafficking as well as impact “socially harmful practices” such as asking for dowry and college capitation fees.There are also direct economic benefits for citizens, Modi told his officials, in terms of price rationalisation in real estate.The PM emphasises team the “social and cultural benefits” of demonetisation must be stressed, senior officials familiar with the review meetings told ET.“Let's make the country a better place for our children, better than what we inherited,” the PM is understood to have said at one recent meeting with his officials. Demonetisation is aimed at “not only taking on the corrupt but also improving the lives of honest, law-abiding citizens”, the PM had also observed, officials said.The PM has asked ministers to urge bureaucrats in their respective ministries to reach out to people in “official and informal” capacities and make them understand how online payments have the potential to bring down “several social evils in the society”.These officials spoke on the condition they won’t be identified. The PM, his officials said, explained “at some length” that demands for bribes in government services and dowry and college capitation fees were widespread because cash payments were possible. Cash payment is involved in kidnappings and trafficking of children. Illicit liquor and narcotics trade too depend on an all-cash economic environment.Going digital for big transactions will considerably reduce corruption in the country, directly improving the lives of the poor and middle-class households, the Prime Minister told his team.Top officials said bureaucrats at the joint secretary level have been asked to address informal sessions with small crowds of people to assure them how their money, if earned legitimately, is safe, and also to “patiently answer questions on digital payments.”“He wants citizens to ask as many questions as they can. The intent is clear but the people too need to own the movement and fight the system in their everyday lives,” an official said. In his radio address, Mann Ki Baat, last Sunday, the Prime Minister had talked about a transition first to ‘less-cash economy’ and to a ‘cashless’ economy later.“It is not a sudden development as he has been talking about a less-cash economy since the beginning in his meetings, even during the discussions on Jan-Dhan Yojana. In one of the meetings he had agreed that cash is necessary in certain transactions, especially in tribal and rural areas. But he questioned the need of high-value cash in places where digital payments aren't a problem, clearly implying that to root out corruption, digital was the way,” an official said.