The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme aimed at disbursing the subsidy directly to the real beneficiaries through their bank account was launched by the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob here today.
Mr. Jacob said the State would witness a revolutionary change by disbursing the subsidy amount to the real beneficiaries through their bank account. The Minister said the DBT on LPG was being implemented in the two districts of Pathanamthitta and Wayanad in the first phase.
He said the State has got as many as 75 lakh LPG consumers and the DBT scheme would be implemented across the State in a phased manner.
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Mr. Jacob said no consumer would be denied the Aadhar-linked subsidy on LPG for not completing the Aadhar seeding and bank seeding. They have got three months’ time, till August 31, for opening the Aadhar-linked bank account. The scheme would be implemented without causing any inconvenience to the people as far as possible, he added.
Subsidy
The Minister said the government would take a policy decision on the payment of subsidy on food grains too directly to the people through their Aadhar-linked bank account.
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Mr. Jacob said computerisation of the public distribution system was fast progressing and the government was preparing an Aadhar-based biometric system to ensure prompt distribution of ration to the eligible people.
He said the National Food Security Act would be a landmark achievement in the democratic system. The Centre has assured that it would address the concerns raised by the State government on the Food Security Act at its execution level, he added.
Central allocation
The Minister said there would not be any cut in the Central allocation to the State.
Presiding over the function, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, said the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Veerappa Moily, has assured that flaws, if any, at the execution level of DBT on LPG would be duly resolved.
Anto Antony, MP, delivered the keynote address.
Saji Chacko, District Panchayat president; George Paul, Executive Director (LPG section) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited; A. Pandyan, General Manager of Indian Oil Corporation; H. Salimraj, Additional District Magistrate, and G. Rajendrakumar, Deputy General Manager of State Bank of Travancore, also spoke.