Govt to expand DBT to 147 schemes by next March

Government is planning to expand Direct Benefit Transfer and double the number to 147 schemes by March next year. Talking to a news agency, Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa said government has launched pilots for paying subsidy on food, kerosene and fertiliser directly via bank accounts of beneficiaries. 

Benefits and subsidies in 74 schemes of 17 government departments and ministries



are paid directly to beneficiaries under DBT as of now. Mr Lavasa said, the Centre has implemented 30 per cent of the recommendations of the expenditure management commission that was set up to suggest reforms to overhaul the subsidy regime and lower fiscal deficit. He said government hopes to achieve accurate targeting of beneficiaries, weed out duplication, and curb leakages through DBT.