DBT system under MGNREGA in Odisha from Apr 1

Bhubaneswar: In order to facilitate the beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme with the deposit of their wage amount in their bank account, the Centre has decided to implement Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system in ten districts including Odisha from April 1 next.

The decision to this effect has been taken following instances of financial irregularities in the flagship scheme of the Centre.

The state government has received a letter from Union Rural Development department about the implementation of DBT in the state from April 1.

Talking to OTV on Thursday, State Panchayati Raj secretary, Deoranjan Singh said the state government receives the MGNREGS money from the Centre and the money goes to the account of the beneficiaries through Electronics Fund Management System (e-FMS) as per the list prepared by the Block Development Officer (BDO) as per the fund transfer order.

“With the introduction of DBT system, the Centre will make the wage payment of the beneficiaries by debiting the money to their bank account as per the list prepared by the Block Development Officer (BDO) as per the fund transfer order,” Singh said, adding that the new system will benefit about 20 lakh MGNERGS beneficiaries in the state.

Under MGNREGS, each beneficiary gets a daily wage of Rs 174. The Centre has paid Rs 1400 crore wage to around 20 lakh beneficiaries in the current fiscal.