New Delhi: Delhi Government has planned to facilitate direct transfer of cash subsidies and other financial assistance to 30 lakh beneficiaries of various central and Delhi Government-sponsored schemes in the city.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday conveyed this to Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Nandan Nilekani when he called on her.
She said the city government has decided to expand the ambit of Aadhaar-based direct cash transfer for various schemes and sought support from UIDAI in this regard.
"The Government would like to bring around 30 lakh beneficiaries of various scheme under the ambit Aadhaar-based direct cash transfer mechanism," she said.
The Chief Minister also underlined the need to remove the obstacles in opening no-frill bank accounts by beneficiaries of various schemes so that the Government can implement its plan of providing them cash subsidies and other grants such as old age pension through electronic fund transfer.
Officials said she has decided to take up the issue with Finance Minister P Chidambaram also.
The beneficiaries who have been included under the Aadhar-linked cash transfer scheme have also been facing difficulties in withdrawal of the money provided to them under various schemes.
"We will install small ATM machines at 140 Gender Resource Centres and 11 offices of Deputy Commissioners of Revenue and in a number of offices of Food and Supply department so that the beneficiaries can withdraw the money," she said in the meeting.
Officials said government has decided to give the employees working at these offices the status of "bank correspondents".
The Chief Minister said 95 per cent of the total population in Delhi has received Aadhaar numbers.
In December last year, Delhi Government had launched a major food security programme called Annashree Yojana under which cash subsidy of Rs 600 a month is being given to over 40,000 households not covered by BPL scheme and Antyodaya Anna Yojana. The government plans to increase the number of beneficiaries to two lakh.
PTI
