All districts in Jharkhand would be covered in the Direct Cash Transfer programme by middle of next year, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday.
“Now Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Sareikela-Kharsawan and Ranchi are among the Jharkhand districts in the country where Direct Cash Transfer programme will begin from January 1. We are trying to cover all the districts in the state by May,” the Rural Development Minister said while taking stock of welfare programmes at Chandwa in Latehar district, about 100 km from Ranchi.
He said cash would be directly provided to beneficiaries entitled for scholarship, old age pension, disabled pension and other welfare projects through Aadhaar.
“The 12-digit Aadhaar number will be given to all of you very soon, and beneficiaries will get their entitled cash in their hands instead of transfer of money through bank or post office accounts,” he said.
Stressing on cash transfer every month instead of depositing accumulated money once in six months as has been witnessed in some cases here, Ramesh said the Centre would provide all benefits and funds, “but it is the state administration which has to carry them out“.
He assured that a new BPL list would be released by May as “the deserving people” had been left out in the BPL list which was surveyed in 2002.
Ramesh also inspected some irrigation projects, works of women’s self-help groups and appeared satisfied with the works taken up under the rural development programmes.
He promised to local people that more roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana would be allowed in naxal-affected areas.