Direct benefit transfer to be used for fertiliser subsidy: Government

NEW DELHI: Government today said it plans to extend the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for health insurance, even as trials are on to use the programme for fertiliser subsidy to check leakage of funds.

Responding to queries in Lok Sabha during Question Hour, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha said government intends to use the DBT scheme for health insurance and pensions in the coming days in collaboration with states.

For fertiliser subsidy, trials are on in some places to transfer funds through DBT to check leakages by bringing in restrictions, he said.

To a supplementary by BJP's R K Singh who claimed that half of the food subsidy was diverted to middlemen, the minister said a pilot project is underway in Union Territories of Puducherry and Dadra and Nagar Haveli to have biometric system at fair price shops to prevent corruption.