Need robust monitoring of DBT scheme: PMO to ministries

NEW DELHI: With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh detecting faults in monitoring of Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme, his office has asked all ministries concerned to put in place a robust tracking system to assess coverage of the ambitious subsidy programme in terms of volume and value.

The Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Pulok Chatterji has written to Secretaries on roll out of Phase-II of DBT beginning July one, emphasising the need for digitisation of databases and re-engineering of funds flow to ensure transfer of funds to beneficiaries and real-time monitoring.

Citing the decisions taken at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on April 5, Chatterji wrote, "There is adequate time to prepare for the next phase of rollout (on July one). Every department implementing DBT is expected to begin work without any delay so that rollout takes place as decided."

He asked the departments to pay "particular attention" to the activities which are on the "critical path" for the rollout of Phase-II when 78 districts would be covered in addition to the 43 already covered in Phase-I.

Chatterjee listed the activities as digitisation of beneficiary database, instructions on rollout of Phase-II, completing the process of re-engineering for DBT funds flow and monitoring the rollout.

With regard to monitoring, he referred to the Prime Minister's comments that DBT implementation has 'revealed the poor nature of tracking and monitoring systems we have in departments' and said "it is necessary to monitor the rollout closely."

He emphasised that "each department must, therefore, put in place a robust monitoring system that can monitor coverage of beneficiaries and the transfers that are taking place, both in volume and value."