By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, APR 20, 2020: MORE than Rs 36,659 crore has been transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)  through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries  during COVID 2019 lockdown by the  Controller General of Accounts (CGA) office ,Department of Expenditure,Ministry of Finance.

Direct Benefit Transfer ensures that the cash benefit is directly credited into the account of the beneficiary, eliminates leakage and improves efficiency.
 
The aforesaid cash amount has been transferred by  using robust digital payments technology PFMS (Public Financial Management System) for making DBT payments under Central Schemes (CS) /Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) /CASP schemes .
 
Main Highlights :
 
i. More than Rs 36,659 Crores (Rs 27,442 crores [Centrally sponsored Scheme CSS + Central Sector Schemes (CS)] + Rs 9717 [State Govternment] ) transferred by using Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)  through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in the Bank accounts of 16.01 crore beneficiaries (11.42 crores [CSS/CS] + 4.59 crores [State ]) during COVID 2019 lockdown (24th March 2020 till 17thApril 2020)
 
ii. Cash Benefits announced under Prime Minister GaribKalyanYojna Package also being transferred by using DBT Digital Payment Infrastructure. Rs500  each was credited in the women account holder of Jan- Dhan accounts. Till 13th April 2020 the total number of women beneficiaries were 19.86 Crores , which resulted in disbursement of Rs 9,930 crores (as per data of  Department of Financial Services).
 
iii. PFMS usage for DBT Payments increased over last #3 FYs with Total DBT amount disbursed has been increased from 22% in FY 2018-19 to 45% in FY 2019-20.
 
The following are the details of cash benefits transferred by using PFMS for making DBT payments during COVID 19 period (24th March 2020 till 17thApril 2020).
 
i. During COVID 19Lockdown i.e24th March 2020 till 17thApril 2020 ;  the DBT payments under all the Central Sector/Centrally Sponsored Schemes through PFMS amounted to Rs. 27,442.08crore  in the accounts of 11,42,02,592beneficiaries through schemes like PM KISAN, Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), National Social Assistance Program(NSAP), Prime Minster’sMatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), National Health Mission (NHM), Scholarship Schemes of various ministries through National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
 
ii. Apart from above mentioned schemes, payments were also made under the PM GaribKalyanYojana, Rs 500 was credited in the women account holder of Jan- Dhan accounts. Till 13th April 2020 the total number of women beneficiarieswere19.86 crore, which resulted in disrbursement of Rs 9,930 crore (as per data of  Department of Financial Services).
 
iii. During COVID 19 period, many State Governments like UP, Bihar, MP, Tripura, Maharashtra, J&K, AP and others   have used DBT to transfer cash in the bank accounts.Through 180 welfare schemes ,the State Governments using PFMS have disbursed to4,59,03,908 beneficiaries, an amount of Rs. 9,217.22crore between 24th March 2020 till 17th April 2020.