On January 1, nine schemes, including pre-and post-metric scholarships, were covered under the electronic cash transfer system in Chandigarh.
On the day of the launch, Rs 46.65 crore was electronically transferred to 1,384 beneficiaries. The education department of Chandigarh has a target of enrolling 2,031 beneficiaries by March 31. An official says over 1,500 beneficiaries had been covered, though official data was yet to be compiled.
As big-ticket items such as food, fuel and fertiliser subsidies have been left out of the scheme, the distribution of funds for scholarships, health benefits and other income programmes are on the agenda.
Chandigarh launched the direct transfer of health benefits under the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana and Janani Suraksha Yojna from February 1.
Pregnant women (self/spouse of anyone engaged in the non-government sector) will get Rs 5,000. Two instalments of Rs 1,500 each and one instalment of Rs 1,000 will be transferred to the Aadhaar-linked account of the beneficiary.
Rajesh Jogpal, director-social welfare, UT Chandigarh, said 1,000 had been enrolled under the health benefits transfer.
The beneficiaries say this gives them the freedom of choice and would enhance their creditworthiness for greater access to bank credit. Students from the economically weak sections, too, find it convenient.
The government machinery is under stress as it has to mobilise data collection of eligible candidates and co-ordinate with stakeholders such as banks and agencies in Bangalore and Hyderabad.
“Even a small error needs the repetition of the entire exercise,” says Bikram Rana, liaison officer, department of higher education, Chandigarh. “But these are teething troubles. Things would be streamlined after a couple of months. This would save a lot of time. We would also be able to transfer the funds at regular intervals.”
The seeding of data for the schemes that start from February 1 has been completed for 1,000 beneficiaries. The district social welfare officer, Jogpal, says many eligible women do not have Aadhaar cards. “So we are generating their EID (enrolment ID).” Lack of awareness among beneficiaries was a hiccup, he adds.
The opening of bank accounts is picking pace, as those Business Standard spoke to at enrolment centres said they had got phone calls from banks.
