'Direct cash transfer not a complex project'

Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said the direct cash-transfer (DCT) scheme to targeted sections of people “will be a simple and error-free” arrangement with the utilisation of technology.

Addressing officials of the Puducherry government and various banks at a meeting organised by state-level bankers committee here, Chidambaram said “with the availability of banking technology, the scheme is not a complex arrangement but an easy programme”. “Banking technology is a black box technology and there is absolutely no room for mistakes, corruption or human interference in the operation of the scheme”, he said.

The Centre was releasing as much as Rs 2,00,000 crore as subsidies under various schemes for targeted sections across the country. The intention of the government was to ensure the DCT scheme was implemented by the end of 2013 in the country as a whole.

 

He asked bankers and officials to ensure inclusion of beneficiaries to provide them advantages of the 15 centrally sponsored schemes implemented in Puducherry. Chidambaram said he was confident DCT to beneficiaries having Aadhaar-linked bank accounts would go on stream successfully on January 1 in Puducherry.

He also reviewed preparations made by banks and government departments as part of rolling out the scheme in the union territory, comprising Puducherry, Mahe and Yanam regions.

DMK urges FM to intervene for scrapping of VAT
A DMK delegation from Puducherry, led by party convenor M A S Subramanian, urged Chidambaram today to either scrap the 10 per cent value added tax (VAT) on cooked food and other consumer articles or to ensure the rate of tax was brought down.

Subramanian said in neighbouring state the rate of VAT was only two per cent, while it was 10 per cent in Puducherry.

This was hitting the consumers, business community and the state’s coffers was also not able to earn because of fall in business, he said.

The memorandum also wanted sanction of full statehood for Puducherry.

The finance minister was also urged to sanction special grants from the ministry to Puducherry to develop infrastructural facilities.