DBT mode is clean, honest service to beneficiaries, says Kiran Bedi

Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi on Saturday said the DBT mode to credit funds to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of schemes here ensures clean and honest service

: Lieutenant Governor of

Puducherry Kiran Bedi on Saturday said the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) modeto credit funds to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of schemes here ensures clean and honest service.

She referred to the criticism Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had made at a press meet on Friday that the Central government and the office of the Lt Governor were hindering welfare schemes by insisting on the DBT mode.

Bedi said the Centre and also the Supreme and High Courts had upheld decisions taken so far on direct transfer of funds to beneficiaries accounts for free rice, scholarships or any other benefits and special gifts.

She said ever since the policy of DBTwas introduced, crores of rupees were directly transferred and deposited into the account of lakhs of poor people who were the beneficiaries.

The Lt Governor further said not a single complaint had been received concerning the DBT measure from any of the beneficiaries.

"The administration is doing a clean and honest service and none is aggrieved by the measure (DBT system)...," she said.

Kiran Bedi said, "Instead of expressing satisfaction and happiness to his people, the Chief Minister is lamenting for reasons best known to him although he should be most relieved and grateful that lakhs of people are receiving everything without any financial loss."

"DBT is the approved and legitimate system now and has no leakage and no loss of revenue in transmission at all," she said.

"There are also no middlemen or commission agents and no favours taken or given by adopting the DBT system," she said.

Bedi said the Chief Minister needs to stop misinforming the people against the Centre and the office of Lt Governor.

The Chief Minister had been protesting against DBT system, but the Lt Governor stuck to her guns and there were also occasions when the difference of opinion was referred to the Union Home Ministry.

The Chief Minister had on Friday said the Centre has been acting upon the recommendations of the Lt Governor on the modality of implementing welfare schemes and has also encroached upon the powers of the elected government.