The Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme, or direct cash transfer, is likely to be expanded in 78 more districts in the next phase beginning July 1, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, ahead of the meeting of the National Committee on DBT on Friday, to be chaired by the Prime Minister.

The DBT system was rolled out from January 1 in a phased manner. It began in 20 districts with seven schemes. By March 1, it was expanded to cover 43 districts in 16 States and Union Territories for 26 Central schemes such as scholarships.

Now the plan is to expand DBT in more districts with three pension schemes managed by the Ministry of Rural Development for old age persons, widows and the disabled. Post offices will also be included from October 1.

DBT will be expanded to cover districts in those States that have been allocated initially to the Registrar General of India (RGI) for collecting biometric data under the National Population Register (NPR).

These are States with large numbers of poor and, hence, beneficiaries. The States include Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Registrar General of India (RGI) will work towards accelerating biometric collection in select districts in NPR States so that coverage of 70-80 per cent is achieved by June and DBT could be rolled out from July 1, the statement said.

The meeting chaired by the Prime Minister will discuss the approaches and strategies being adopted for expansion into new districts and schemes. Progress will be reviewed on the digitisation of databases, the opening of bank accounts, the enrolment in Aadhaar and the seeding of databases with Aadhaar numbers.

There will be a thrust on digitisation of data of beneficiaries in all districts, irrespective of the rollout of DBT as this is a critical activity which need not wait and can be done simultaneously, the statement added.

shishir.sinha@thehindu.co.in

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