'Direct cash transfer can be launched on pilot basis in two districts of Rajasthan, UP'

The direct cash transfer scheme should be launched on a pilot basis in two districts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the National Nutrition Council has recommended.

The council had earlier proposed that the scheme be implemented on pilot basis in 10 districts but it was rejected by the Women and Child Development Ministry.

Under the Direct Cash Transfer scheme, government subsidies and other benefits are given directly in cash rather than in form of ration.

A senior WCD official said a meeting was held Thursday with the National Nutrition Council, which asked the ministry to implement the pilot project in two districts instead of ten.

"In the two states of Rajasthan and UP, the projects could be launched in two districts. One control block where ration would be given, while in another district cash would be given," the official said.

In the control districts, the existing system of providing supplementary nutrition under anganwadi services would remain in place.

"The states would identify the districts. It would be sent for approval to the minister (WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi) and then be implemented immediately after her approval," he said.

In July, Minister of State for the Women and Child Development Virendra Kumar told the Rajya Sabha that the ministry did not agree with the proposal of NITI Aayog to give cash in lieu of dietary supplements to pregnant and lactating mothers.

The government's think-tank NITI Aayog in its national nutrition strategy had recommended initiating pilot schemes in a few districts to test if cash transfers could replace the provision of take-home rations and supplementary nutrition as part of its Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to plug the leakages.