Government of India
Direct Benefit Transfer
About Us
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
On 1st January 2013, the Government of India launched the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in order to re-construct the prevailing delivery systems and processes to ensure that the benefits are transferred to the beneficiaries bank accounts electronically, via digital platfrom, minimizing tiers involved in fund flow and hence reducing the delay in the payment. It also ensures accurate targetting of the beneficiaries and curbs pilferage and duplication.
DBT covers all Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes where cash benefits are directly transferred to individual beneficiaries. This was expanded to include all welfare/subsidy schemes, which involve cash or in kind benefit transfers to beneficiaries as well as transfers made to various enablers of Government schemes like community workers, NGOs, and others.
As per the directive of the Government, all welfare schemes are to be linked with Aadhaar and the scope of DBT has been expanded to include all kinds of transfer such as honorarium given to various enablers of government schemes like ASHA, Aganwadi Workers, etc.
In the State of Sikkim DESME is the Nodal department of UID as well as DBT. DESME conducted the first UID enrollment in Sikkim on March 2011 and has enrolled 98% of the States Population till date. Thus enabling the Departments in implementing Aadhaar Enable DBT in the State.
DBT envisages transparent and accountable governance which aims at accurately targeting the beneficiaries, enhancing efficiency, transparency and accountability by leveraging Aadhaar.
Further, notification no. 46/Home/2017 dated 09/10/2017 has been issued by Government of Sikkim enforcing the Aadhaar Act, 2016 in the State of Sikkim. The notification stipulates the following:
i) In order to ensure efficient, transparent and targeted delivery of subsidies, benefits and services, the Aadhaar number is to be incorporated in all welfare schemes and identity based services.
ii) All cash and kind based schemes are to be provided to the beneficiaries through Aadhaar and Direct Benefit Transfer.
iii) All State Government schemes involving transfer of benefits to individuals/households and services are to be covered.
iv) All Central Government schemes which are incurred from the Consolidated Fund India are to be covered.
v) Aadhaar Number is only an identification number issued to an individual and the Aadhaar number or the authentication thereof shall not, by itself, confer any right of, or be the proof of, citizenship while administering welfare schemes or preparing documents. Hence, for making any official documents or for administration of any schemes, the Aadhaar should not be used as proof of citizenship or as an entitlement to the scheme or document.
vi) Aadhaar based integrated management system to achieve full traceability and accountability, to be conceptualized and implemented by Directorate of Economics, Statistics, Monitoring& Evaluation (DESM&E).