Some UTs to start from April 1 and other transfers to be launched from January.
Kamath projected an average annual growth of 7.5-8 per cent for the country in the next five years for the economy, saying it was only investments in infrastructure and troubles with project implementation that had to be dealt with right now.
We will roll out the scheme from January 1, says P Chidambaram.
After Odisha and Tripura, West Bengal has now opposed the Centre's direct cash transfer to bank accounts of beneficiaries, claiming it would lead to a breakdown of the existing public distribution system and closure of the Food Corporation of India.
Addressing officials of Puducherry government and various banks at a meeting organised by state level Bankers Committee in Puducherry, Chidambaram said 'with the availability of banking technology, the scheme is not a complex arrangement but an easy programme.'
It is generally felt that DCTs are a more efficient system than, say, physical subsidies. This does hold when conditions are ideal and back-end structures are in place.
Government's direct cash transfer scheme is "anti-poor" as it would actually cut subsidies due to the high inflation rate and not cover the rising prices of foodgrains, the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Wednesday said opposing the move.
The direct cash transfer scheme is not a "jaadu ki chhadi" (magic wand) to reform a "broken down" delivery system and problems are there in its implementation, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday.
Land acquisition and corruption will be among a string of issues that will be highlighted by Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which on Wednesday described the United Progressive Alliance government's decision to launch a direct cash transfer scheme as a "bribe to voters".
The Prime Minister's Office has asked ministries to take up the implementation of the direct cash transfer scheme on a war footing before the launch of the programme on January 1. It has also asked them to organise camps to fast pace enrolment under Aadhaar for the purpose. The primary activity of all the ministries implementing schemes in the coming weeks will be to complete enrolment of Aadhaar for all beneficiaries.
If women voters are mobilised in big numbers to the voting booths on November 6 and 11 by the Nitish Kumar-led NDA, then it will be quite difficult for the Tejashwi Yadav-led Mahagathbandhan to defeat the incumbent government, points out Sheela Bhatt.
The government will launch the payout of direct cash subsidy to people through the Aadhaar based system in 51 districts of the country from January 1, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said.
The National Committee on Direct Cash Transfers will have 11 cabinet ministers, two ministers of state with independent charge, the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, the Chairman UIDAI and the Cabinet Secretary as its members.
The government on Monday said that it had not violated any election code of conduct in connection with its ambitious direct cash transfer scheme as it was announced in the budget speech by the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
A new report indicates that increasing unconditional cash transfer schemes for women across 12 Indian states are impacting their fiscal health, with six states projecting revenue deficits.
As the government races to launch its flagship direct cash transfer programme from January 1, the low concentration of Aadhaar card database in the identified 43 districts is a cause of major concern
The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday traded barbs over the government's direct cash transfer scheme after the Election Commission sought a reply from the Centre on the timing of the announcement.
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party leader N Chandrababu Naidu has welcomed the "cash transfer" initiative of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but reminded him that it was his brainchild as the TDP had promised direct cash transfer to beneficiaries in its 2009 election manifesto.
Governments should move away from universal subsidies towards tightly targeted transfers, backed by stricter eligibility norms, sunset clauses and periodic audits to curb leakages and improve spending efficiency, a joint study by Asian Development Bank and PwC has recommended.
The seeding of LPG database with Aadhar numbers is above 55 per cent and overall Aadhar penetration is 90 per cent in these districts.
This includes an infrastructure push which may lead to the government spending more than its budgeted capital expenditure for 2020-21. There are also discussions on increasing the scope and quantum of direct cash transfers to the beneficiaries who need it the most.
Top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday met the Election Commissioner to lodge their protest against the Centre's announcement of the direct cash transfer scheme ahead of Gujarat elections and demanded its withdrawal. Led by party leader L K Advani and Leaders of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, the BJP delegation questioned the timing of the announcement and demanded its withdrawal to ensure free and fair elections in Gujarat.
Expressing unhappiness over the announcement of the much-touted direct cash transfer scheme by the government even when the model code was in force, the Election Commission on Sunday wrote to the Union cabinet secretary seeking a report on the matter.
Voicing concern over the announcement of direct cash transfer scheme after the Model Code of Conduct had been implemented, the Election Commission has directed the government to keep in abeyance its implementation in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh where the poll process is going on.
As the deadline for direct cash transfer for subsidies in 43 districts nears, the government has started the mapping of gram panchayats to provide banking services in remote parts of the country.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday strongly backed the Centre's new Direct Benefit Transfer system that will ensure cash transfer directly in the hands of beneficiaries of various schemes, saying it is in line with many other "revolutionary" measures taken by the UPA.
Govt expects to save Rs 10,000 crore through this move.
In a move to cut down wastage, duplication and leakages and enhance efficiency, the Prime Minister has given a major push to transfer individual benefits from the government directly into the bank accounts of beneficiaries.
While this doesn't mean that air travel is now a breeze, what it does mean is that you now have more rights and more control over your money.
'The campaign by the Mahagathbandan has failed to capture the imagination of the electorate given the fatigue factor with the Nitish government.'
'Nitish Kumar previously held tight control over key ministries, but this concession (giving the home portfolio to the BJP) reflects either his weakened political position or a pragmatic acknowledgment of the BJP's growing dominance.'
The government has identified 51 districts in 16 states for the roll out of the scheme.
Justice Yashwant Varma, a Delhi High Court judge, has been transferred to his parent Allahabad High Court amid a controversy surrounding the alleged discovery of a large sum of cash at his official residence. The Supreme Court Collegium recommended the transfer, stating it was separate from an in-house probe ordered by the top court into the alleged cash find. The incident occurred following a fire at Justice Varma's residence on Holi night, March 14. Justice Varma has vehemently denied any involvement in the alleged cash discovery, calling it a conspiracy to frame him.
'...the electoral playing field is tilted significantly in its favour.'
This Budget positions India's taxation ideology as not merely a revenue source but as a strategic catalyst for growth, inclusion and long-term confidence.
Concerned over the misuse of subsidies provided under various schemes, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said the government will provide a direct cash subsidy on kerosene and fertilisers to the poor from March next year.
'Bihar's voters' electoral memory is long, and their evaluations are relational; who came to the village, who followed up, who resolved a problem.'
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav promised that if the INDIA bloc comes to power in Bihar, it will ensure every family has a member with a government job, enacting legislation within 20 days of forming the government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday clarified that it will not oppose the Aadhar-based cash transfer scheme but added that there was nothing new in the announcement, for which the Congress was seeking "political mileage". It also said its state governments have been implementing similar schemes for years.
India plans to phase in cash transfers of food and kerosene subsidies from September, saving 10-15 per cent of the $21 billion in annual outlays on the benefits by eliminating fraud, a senior finance ministry official said on Thursday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances