Sheila Dikshit soughts Planning Commission's help to expand direct cash transfer scheme

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today sought Planning Commission's help in bringing around 30 lakh beneficiaries of various central and Delhi Government -sponsored schemes in the city under the ambit of direct transfer of cash subsidies by July.

At a meeting with Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dikshit said government has set an ambitious target of facilitating Aadhaar-based direct cash transfer to beneficiaries of a host of schemes to plug leakages and corruption.

The Chief Minister also underlined the need to remove obstacles in opening of no-frill bank accounts by beneficiaries so that the Government can implement its plan.

In December last year, Delhi Government had launched a major food security programme called Annashree Yojana under which cash subsidy of Rs 600 a month is being given to over 40,000 households not covered by BPL scheme and Antyodaya Anna Yojana. The government plans to increase the number of beneficiaries to two lakh.

Officials attending the meeting said Planning Commission appreciated Delhi Government for the initiative.

In the meeting, the Commission approved a plan size of Rs 16,626 crore for Delhi for 2013-14, up by 4.8 per cent from the previous fiscal.

Apart from this, the Planning Commission has approved an amount of Rs 626 crore under PSU Plan which includes Rs 106 crore for Delhi Transco Ltd, Rs 500 crore for Pragati Power Corporation Ltd and Rs 20 crore for Delhi Finance Corporation.

Officials said 93 per cent of the annual plan size would be be financed through Delhi Government's own resources.

The Planning Commission also heaped praise on the city government for launching project to revamp the existing property registration system and put in place an online mechanis to ensure hassle-free services to the citizens.

The online registration system has been already launched in five sub-registrar offices out of total 13.

In the meeting, Dikshit also demanded an increase in central budgetary allocation to Delhi, saying it has been stagnant at Rs 325 crore per annum for last 10 years. Dikshit had raised the issue with Finance Minister P Chidambaram last year also.

Dikshit said the assistance should be proportionate to Delhi annual budget which crossed Rs 37,000 crore.

She said her government would continue to generate its own resources to make Delhi a welfare state and mentioned that it has been spending 65 per cent of its allocation on social sector.

Dikshit also requested the Planning Commission to look into water shortage being faced by the city due to non-commissioning of Munak Canal by Haryana government.

The Munak canal was constructed by Haryana with financial assistance of around Rs 400 crore given by Delhi government on the condition that the national capital will be supplied 80 MGD water from it.

But later, Haryana refused to supply water to the city. As both sides failed to settle the dispute, the Prime Minister had set up a GoM headed by then home minister P Chidambaram to find a solution to the matter.

She also raised the issue of delay in completion of peripheral expressways, non-availability of gas for Bawana power plant and the proposed Bamnauli plant.

Officials said the Planning Commission appreciated the present power situation in Delhi and called upon the city government to concentrate on sewerage projects and improving water distribution.