Direct transfer to beneficiaries from Dec 31
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 14 2017:
As a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India and cashless transaction policies, the State Government has started taking up necessary steps to enable Direct Benefit Transfer of 75 Central sponsored schemes to the individual bank accounts of the beneficiaries from December 31 .
The Government is hoping that the step will drastically decrease the misuse of funds meant for the developmental scheme by transferring the amounts directly to the beneficiaries thus maximising the success of the schemes .
However, the success or failure of the initiative is debatable as most of the hill districts of the State as well as some remote parts of the valley still lack banking facilities, Blocks as well as internet connectivity .
Speaking to The Sangai Express, an official source stated that a meeting was held at Imphal recently attended by top officials of all the related departments and chaired by the Principal Secretary (Finance), in connection with the implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer for various Centre sponsored schemes .
The meeting identified 94 Central sponsored schemes currently undertaken in the State and resolved to implement Direct Benefit Transfer for 75, out of the 94 schemes, from December 31, thus transferring the funds of the scheme directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries .
The source further stated that all the relevant Departments have been instructed to ensure that their beneficiaries possess a bank account and also to ensure that the bank accounts are linked with the Aadhaar cards of the beneficiaries .
According to the source, if the initiative of Direct Benefit Transfer is successfully implemented in the State, many problems and inconveniences will be solved, like the problem which often occurs between the Minority and Other Backward Classes (MOBC) and Tribal Affairs and Hills Department and the students/ associations regarding student scholarship.
The source pointed out that the funds for building individual household latrines under Swachh Bharat Mission can be effectively transferred to the bank account of the beneficiaries by the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) if the implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer is successful .
Pointing out that various schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana will also succeed, the source added that Direct Benefit Transfer will also affect distribution of Kerosene and LPG subsidies to the beneficiaries .
The meeting also resolved to make Direct Benefit Transfer portal functional at the earliest in light of the steps taken up to implement the initiative for the 75 Central sponsored schemes in the State, the source added.