TUESDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2012 21:34 SANTOSH NARAYAN | RANCHI
The Centre’s ‘game changer’ plan to deposit subsidy directly into beneficiaries’ accounts linked with Aadhar numbers may see subtle modification in Jharkhand, at least for the initial period.
The beneficiaries of four districts selected in the State would be able to get money in their bank accounts without having themselves necessarily enrolled with the Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI). As per the information coming to The Pioneer, the conditionality of UID number would be relaxed keeping in mind the absence of cent per cent enrolments made in the districts.
“The condition is there, but the Government is thinking the compulsion of having Aadhar number of a beneficiary is waived for the initial 3-4 months. The purpose is to provide a breathing space to the beneficiaries, though the unique identification number would be followed religiously thereafter,” said a senior official. The scheme is slated to kick start on January 1, 2013 in 51 selected districts of the country.
A meeting in this regard has been called at the end of this week by the State Government in which various modalities about selection of the bank receiving funds released from the Centre under the subsidy head, further movement of the money into the districts and final disbursement into beneficiaries’ account would be sorted out.
Achintan Bhattacharya, Joint Secretary at Banking (DFS), Ministry of Finance, had also visited Jharkhand in early December for final review of the preparedness going on in the State.
Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Saraikela-Kharsawan and Ramgarh are the districts selected where the direct cash subsidy scheme has to be rolled out in Jharkhand. Bank of India (BoI) is the lead bank in all the four districts and carrying the responsibility for opening bank accounts.
“We are focusing on opening bank accounts of at least head of the family of each household. The idea is transferring the subsidy money into the hands of the head so that it can be used judiciously. We have set a deadline of December 15 for opening 12.53 lakh accounts covering each household in the four districts,” said Tarlochan Singh, Deputy General Manager cum Zonal Manager of BoI in Ranchi.
As per the latest figures there are 3.01 lakh households in Hazaribag, 1.77 lakh in Ramgrah, 2.18 lakh in Saraikela-Kharsawan and 5.56 lakh in Ranchi district. Money coming for scholarship and LPG and Kerosene subsidy would be taken up in the beginning.
Nevertheless, the Government to expedite the Aadhar enrolment has appointed some non-State registration agencies apart from the UID that would pave way for the Aadhar-enabled payment system.
“We have also been donning the role of NSR and have appointed Vakrangee, Frontech, Protex and Matrix for the enrolments in four districts. We have publicised much about UID numbers and facilitating people for the enrolments,” added Singh.
The beneficiaries would be given money through banking correspondents who would be carrying handheld devices connected with V-SAT, put atop on every panchayat building. The BCs would be carrying maximum Rs20,000 with them daily.