Andhra Pradesh: revoke Aadhaar Payment Bridge system in Amma Vodi cash transfer scheme, say HRF and Samalochana

‘Thousands of people have NPCI mapping problems, particularly in tribal areas’

April 23, 2022 05:49 pm | Updated 05:49 pm IST - VISAKHAPATNAM

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) and Samalochana demanded the withdrawal of the recent decision by the State government to change the cash transfer account payment in the Amma Vodi scheme to the Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) system.

Speaking to a select media here on Saturday, V.S. Krishna of the HRF said that the scheme was launched by the State government as part of the Navaratnas. Under the scheme, mothers of children belonging to BPL families will be credited with ₹15,000 per annum subject to certain eligibility criteria. According to official figures, 43.5 lakh people benefitted from the scheme in 2021. The next cash transfer for Amma Vodi is scheduled for early June 2022.

However, the manner in which the government is now seeking to transfer the money to beneficiaries will likely alienate lakhs of mothers across the State. This is because the mode of payment has now been shifted to the APB system. In this method, Aadhaar serves as the financial address of the beneficiaries and cash would be transferred to the bank account linked to the Aadhaar number, said Mr. Chakradhar of Samalochana.

Both Mr, Krishna and Chakradhar are of the opinion that for the successful completion of the transfer, the bank account must be linked with the NPCI (National Payment Corporation of India). Failure to do so will result in a cash transfer failure. In the process many potential beneficiaries will be left out, they said.

The NPCI mapping is a complicated process and even the public and many bank staff are not fully aware of it. Thousands of people have NPCI mapping problems, particularly in the tribal areas. Moreover, the NPCI does not have enough banking infrastructure to solve problems associated with mapping.

According to Mr. Chakradhar, who has done extensive field research on this subject, more than two lakh farmers across the State (as per data available on October 2021) were unable to get their payments in the Rythu Bharosa cash transfer scheme to farmers due to non-mapping by NPCI.

Although payment failures can occur in both the payment systems, resolution in the Aadhaar Payment Bridge system is overly complicated for citizens and frontline workers to handle, he said.

“We feel the decision to change the payment system to Aadhaar has been unilateral, irresponsible and is anti-poor. The move also raises suspicion that the government is trying to exclude a large number of people from availing the benefits of Amma Vodi. Such an important decision cannot be taken without meaningful consultation with the beneficiaries,” said Mr. Krishna.

It is worth recalling that the payment method for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was changed recently from Aadhaar to the account-based payment method. We urge the Chief Minister to intervene, take up the matter expeditiously with the Finance Department and rescind the decision to change the payment arrangement for Amma Vodi, said the members of HRF and Samalochana.

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