Ahead of launch of second phase of Direct Benefit Transfer, DBT, from 1st of July, the government today asked Banks to fast track the implementation of the scheme. Finance minister P. Chidambaram urged the district administration to felicitate its faster implementation to ensure that the benefits of the scheme reaches the beneficiary without leakage of funds. He was addressing the review meeting of the District Magistrates of 121 targeted districts in New Delhi.

Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said, the DBT electronic payments tried out in Chitoor and Godavari districts have been successful. Mr. Ramesh also said it was found that Post office have done better than the banks in the DBT pilots carried out. He stressed on the use of the postal network for the DBT Scheme.

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Alhuwalia said government is working out an arrangement where beneficiaries would be covered under the scheme even if they don't have Aadhaar number. He said payment would be made either through Aadhaar payment gateway where beneficiary has Aadhaar-linked bank account or transferred directly into his or her bank account through a different gateway.

Our correspondent reports, the meeting discussed ways to remove the bottle necks in the implementation of the ambitious scheme.