Centre calls meeting of DMs to review DBT scheme tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over faulty monitoring of the ambitious Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) subsidy programme, the government has called district magistrates of all the 121 targeted districts here tomorrow to discuss ways to address hitches that may have been detected.

The meeting to review the progress of DBT, which is tipped to be UPA's flagship programme for the next Lok Sabha polls, will be addressed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

At the meeting, feedback would be sought from the DMs particularly of 43 districts where the scheme is operational since January 1, sources said.

DMs of other 78 districts, where the scheme is to be rolled out on July 1, are expected to report the progress made in groundwork done for the launch.

The meeting has been convened to ensure "glitch-free" implementation of the programme which is expected to cover one-fifth of the country, the sources said.

The meeting will take place against the backdrop of concerns expressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the "unsatisfactory nature of tracking and monitoring systems" in various departments.

The prime minister, while reviewing the implementation of the scheme at a high-level meeting here earlier this month, had observed, "We have also run into difficulties that we had not anticipated when we began the programme. We must, therefore, renew our efforts for successful implementation of the programme."