Centre calls meeting of DMs to review DBT scheme tomorrow

Amid concerns over faulty monitoring of the ambitious Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) subsidy programme, the government has called district magistrates of all the 121 targeted districts here tomorrow to discuss ways to address hitches that may have been detected.

The meeting to review the progress of DBT, which is tipped to be UPA's flagship programme for the next Lok Sabha polls, will be addressed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

At the meeting, feedback would be sought from the DMs particularly of 43 districts where the scheme is operational since January 1, sources said.

DMs of other 78 districts, where the scheme is to be rolled out on July 1, are expected to report the progress made in groundwork done for the launch.

The meeting has been convened to ensure "glitch-free" implementation of the programme which is expected to cover one-fifth of the country, the sources said.

The meeting will take place against the backdrop of concerns expressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the "unsatisfactory nature of tracking and monitoring systems" in various departments.

The prime minister, while reviewing the implementation of the scheme at a high-level meeting here earlier this month, had observed, "We have also run into difficulties that we had not anticipated when we began the programme. We must, therefore, renew our efforts for successful implementation of the programme."

Subsequent to the meeting held by the prime minister, his Principal Secretary Pulok Chatterji had asked all ministries concerned to put in place a robust tracking system to assess coverage of the ambitious subsidy programme in terms of volume and value.

Chatterji had written to secretaries, emphasising the need for digitisation of databases and re-engineering of funds flow to ensure transfer of funds to beneficiaries and real-time monitoring.

He asked the departments to pay "particular attention" to the activities which are on the "critical path" for the rollout of Phase-II when 78 districts would be covered in addition to the 43 already covered in Phase-I.

Chatterji listed the activities as digitisation of beneficiary database, instructions on rollout of Phase-II, completing the process of re-engineering for DBT funds flow and monitoring the rollout.

With regard to monitoring, Chatterji had emphasised that "each department must, therefore, put in place a robust monitoring system that can monitor coverage of beneficiaries and the transfers that are taking place, both in volume and value".

In the second phase, the DBT will also cover domestic cooking gas (LPG) in 20 districts by May 15, in addition to 26 scholar schemes.

LPG consumers will get about Rs 4,000 per annum in cash from the government, and they will have to then buy LPG at market price of Rs 901.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder.