UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi unveiled Delhi Government’s cash-for-food scheme here on Saturday. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and UIDAI chairperson Nandan Nilekani were also present on the occasion.
The scheme is named Delhi Annashree Yojana; under which every month, ` 600 will be transferred to the bank accounts of senior most female members of two lakh poor families residing here. Sonia termed it is the first of its kind food security scheme which is integrated with UID Aadhaar card.
She presented bank passbooks and Annashree enrolment certificates to 12 women beneficiaries hailing from slums in the capital.
“This scheme is not an alternative to public distribution system (PDS) but is an extension of the existing food security efforts being undertaken under the PDS. The scheme would provide an option to the beneficiaries to purchase their food item and essential items,” said Sonia.
She added that a comprehensive scheme to implement a number of schemes such as scholarships, pensions, MNREGA on direct cash transfer mode integrated with UID-Aadhar would be implemented on January 1, 2013, by the Centre; A total of 32 schemes in 51 districts of the country will be implemented through direct cash transfer mode. These 32 schemes do not include food safety and subsidy schemes.
Dikshit said that the beneficiaries had been released ` 4,800 with retrospective effect from April 1, 2012. She said that till Saturday, 14,000 houses had been covered and by the year end, two lakh households would be covered under the scheme. The programme has been tested and would provide food safety assistance to beneficiaries without any leakage and corruption.