LPG cash transfers worlds largest social benefit drive ==================================== Scheme Beats Similar Ones In China, Brazil If Dharmendra Pradhan displayed any missionary zeal on Christmas, it was to ensure a seamless countrywide rollout of one of the Modi governments ambitious programmes on New Year Day and make it the worlds largest direct social benefit transfer scheme. Not that the oil minister has much to worry . Pahal, or the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme for LPG (DBTL), has already surpassed Brazils famous Bolsa Familia programme, the centrepiece of its former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvas social policy , and a similar project in China in terms of number of beneficiaries. Some 2.3 crore LPG consumers were added and 1.8 crore, or 75%, of them brought under the schemes ambit since it was re-launched in 54 districts with a simplified mechanism on November 15.About Rs 549 crore subsidy was transferred. A total of 5.38 crore of the 15.38 crore consumers have their bank accounts or Aadhaar numbers linked for directly receiving cash subsidy. In comparison, Bolsa Familia is estimated to cover about 12 lakh and the Chinese programme 18 lakh.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 09:51:15 +0000