Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram has said that the government is determined to extend the direct cash transfer scheme, currently being implemented in 51 districts, to more than 700 districts across the country by this year end.

Under the scheme, 100-day employment guarantee programme's wages, old age pension and medical insurance will go directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts.

Justifying direct cash transfer to beneficiaries of welfare schemes, Mr. Chidambaram said, the funds go directly to their accounts, without the middlemen and pilferages. Mr. Chidambaram was speaking after inaugurating Vijaya Bank's 1334th branch in Pattukudipatti, near Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu yesterday.

Mr. Chidambaram also expressed happiness over people availing the services of banks and said, it was their right to demand these services. Earlier inaugurating Indian Bank’s 2,051st branch at Tirukoshtiyur in Sivaganga, the Finance Minister had said that bank services will be provided soon to seven lakh villages all over the country.