The Centre has asked all its departments and state governments to widen the scope of Direct Benefit Transfer scheme to include all monetary and in-kind transfers to beneficiaries, like NGOs and others assisting in implementation of the ambitious DBT programme.
It has been realised that the scope of the DBT can be expanded to include all welfare or subsidy schemes operated by the ministries and departments of government of India, directly or through implementing agencies, which involve transfer of benefits in cash or kind to individuals, a communication sent by the Cabinet Secretariat under which the DBT Mission functions, said.
"Ministries and departments are requested to examine various programmes and schemes implemented by them or their attached offices, public sector undertakings, autonomous organisations and implementing agencies in the light of the expanded scope of DBT and may establish internal DBT cell to take advantage of information and communication technology to improve government to people interface," it said.
Ministries should develop information technology-based applications to capture real time information about the DBT status of various programmes and schemes on their respective websites so that issues of efficiency, transparency and accountability are effectively achieved, the Cabinet Secretariat said in a communique to secretaries of all central ministries and chief secretaries of state governments.