Through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), a record sum of about Rs 12.5 lakh crore was distributed to many recipients via 1,300 crore transactions in the most recent two fiscal years. This represents roughly 44% of all DBT transfers since 2014.
According to data made available to News18, although over Rs 6.3 lakh crore was given to individuals in the financial year 2021–2022, only over Rs 6.17 lakh crore was released to people in the most recent fiscal year, which concluded on March 31, 2023. Prior financial years saw DBT payments to the public totaling Rs 3.82 lakh crore in 2019–20, which was before the Covid–19 epidemic.
In his Monday speech to the CBI officials, Prime Minister Narendra Modi singled out the DBT. ‘If Re 1 gets to the people, 15 paise arrives, and 85 paise was taken,’ a Prime Minister once said. I recently considered the approximately Rs 27 lakh crore that we have given to the populace through DBT. According to that interpretation, 16 lakh crores out of 27 lakh crores would have gone someplace, according to PM Modi.
The PM went on to say that now, thanks to the Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile trinity, every recipient is receiving all of his benefits. “More than 8 crore fraudulent beneficiaries have gotten out of the system using this approach. When a daughter was not born, she used to become a widow and be eligible for a widow’s pension. During the CBI event on Monday, the PM said that DBT has prevented the country’s 2.25 lakh crore from falling into the wrong hands.
In the most recent fiscal year, about 587 crore DBT transactions were conducted, compared to 717 crore in 2021–2022. Since 2014, India has completed DBT transfers of almost Rs 29 lakh crore, 44% of which occurred in the previous two years.
THE DBT JUMP: WHY?
To reduce leakages and money ending up in the wrong hands, the Center has added a rising number of programs to the DBT. The Public Distribution System (PDS) ration was distributed by the Center to the nation’s needy in 2022–2023 at a cost of Rs. 1.63 lakh crore; in 2021–2022 it was Rs. 2.17 lakh crore. This was mostly brought on by the free ration program the Center implemented during the Covid-19 outbreak, known as PM Ann Yojana.
The fertiliser subsidy had the largest payment under DBT in the most recent fiscal year, increasing from 1.23 lakh crore in 2021–22 to 2.06 lakh crore in 2022–23. In contrast to this, DBT payouts under PDS and fertilizer in 2019–20 were Rs 0.8 lakh crore and Rs 0.46 lakh crore, respectively. 310 Central government programs now come within the purview of DBT.
The government claims that by removing phony beneficiaries from different programs, it has saved close to Rs 2.73 lakh crore via DBT.