Govt readies roadmap for fast-tracking Aadhaar-based DTCs

System to be implemented in 51 distts from January 1 next year across the country from April 1, 2014

The government has decided to fast-track the Aadhaar-platform based direct cash transfer system from January 1 next year.

A roadmap for implementation of the system across the country by April 1, 2014 was concretised today at a meeting of the executive committee on direct cash transfers attended by the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, Pulok Chaterji along with the cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth.

It has been decided that all departments engaged in transferring benefits to individual beneficiaries will quickly move to an electronic Direct Cash Transfer system, based on Aadhaar-payment  platform.

They will identify the schemes to move to this system and also prepare a roadmap with timelines so that the rollout is smooth and fast.

The roadmap for each scheme will follow a time-line under which, 51 pilot districts would be covered from 1 January 2013, 18 states from 1 April 2013 and remaining part of the country from 1 April 2014 or earlier.

The list of schemes, roadmaps, and timelines will be sent to the Planning Commission and the Prime Minister’s Office by November 20.

The Unique Identification Authority (UIDAI) will set up a dedicated cell of technical experts to facilitate Aaadhaar enabled Direct Cash Transfers and help individual Ministries.

With this, department of financial services will go for universal financial Inclusion through individual Bank Accounts for all in line with the fixed roadmap.

“UIDAI will rollout Aadhaar speedily in line with the roadmap and departments will work towards digitising their databases quickly, particularly at the state level with the help of state governments, DeITy and NIC to ensure convergence,” PMO said in a release.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is slated to hold the first meeting of the National Committee on Direct Cash Transfers on November  26 where the roadmap and timelines will be presented.