Maharashtra launches Aadhaar-authenticated Direct Transfer Benefit portal

Beneficiaries of farm loan waiver too will have to produce Aadhaar number to avail benefits

Benefits of all government schemes will now be transferred directly into bank accounts of beneficiaries in Maharashtra. But the process will require authentication by Aadhaar. The Maharashtra government on Thursday launched 'Maha DBT', to make Direct Transfer Benefit a reality in the state.

The portal has been designed on the lines of the central government's direct transfer benefit scheme. All state government incentives and benefits, including the recently announced Rs 34,000 crore farm loan waiver, will be disbursed through this portal. However, Aadhaar will become mandatory to claim benefits through the portal.

"Maharashtra is the first ever state to launch a system that gives direct benefits using Aadhaar details for verification. With these processes becoming online, public money can be saved. The same can be used for people's welfare. This system will plug all loopholes and it is a people-friendly initiative, " said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The portal hopes to remove human intervention from the administrative work and hence reduce red-tapism. It also aims at ensuring the benefits go directly to the beneficiary account. The process of transferring benefit will be initiated only once it is verified and approved using Aadhaar data.

The Maha Vastu portal was also launched on Thursday. The online platform is an online building permission management system. The portal will ensure electronic workflow for sanctioning building approvals with full transparency. By the end of this year, all building permission processes will shift to the online process with zero human intervention in all municipal corporations.

OneIndia News