Cash transfer scheme to be introduced in 78 dists in July

, April 5: Prime Minister

has decided that the

to transfer social welfare money directly to the poor will be introduced in another 78 districts in July. The government aims to cover one-fifth of the country's needy by the policy by the end of July as an effort to reap benefits in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Singh, during a meeting which he chaired on Friday, also decided that the subsidy on cooking gas or LPG will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries in 20 districts by the middle of May with more people being covered gradually.

Sources in the Prime Minister's Office said that with the subsidy going directly, eventually there will be a single price at which cylinders will be sold by the dealers and it will help eliminate all ghost connections and ill-practices like diverting cylinders.

The direct cash transfer scheme, introduced in January, features direct cash payments to the poors' bank accounts for pensions and scholarships. According to the Congress-led UPA government, this arrangement will put an end to vast leakage and siphoning of funds meant for public welfare.

The ultimate plan is to directly deposit all subsidies on fuel, food and fertilizers in the beneficiaries' accounts, using the Aadhaar scheme, which provides a unique biometric identity number to every citizen. Only those having the unique identity number and a bank account will be considered eligible for the direct cash transfer from the government.

OneIndia News