The Prime Minister's Office,PMO, today reviewed preparedness for Direct Cash Transfer.The Executive Committee, chaired by the Principal Secretary in the PMO, discussed in detail how Direct Cash Transfers of benefits in the identified 34 schemes in the selected 43 districts will be implemented as per the timelines finalized earlier by the National Committee.

Eight districts in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat have been excluded till the end of the election process. A one-day meeting of the Collectors of the concerned districts excluding Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will be held between 10 to15th of this month. Planning Commission will immediately finalise the dates for the meeting and communicate it to all concerned.

At the field level, for Ministries implementing schemes, firming up and digitising databases, completing enrolment for Aadhaar by all beneficiaries, ensuring bank accounts for all beneficiaries, ensuring that Aadhaar numbers are entered into bank account databases and beneficiary databases will be the primary activity in the coming few weeks.

Banks would also be authorised to be Registrars for Aadhaar numbers and will be enabled to enroll beneficiaries for Aaadhaar at the locations where camps are to be held and otherwise as well. Matters relating to schemes of the Ministry of Rural Development will be addressed in a separate meeting.

Department of Financial Services will look into the issue of Service Charges by banks on individual transactions, limits on balances in no-frills accounts, definition of inoperative account and other related matters impacting Direct Cash Transfers.