AP CM YS Jagan Infusing Transparency With DBT In Development Initiatives

AMARAVATI:  Direct Benefit transfer (DBT) has come in like a boon to the beneficiaries, with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s proactive initiatives and transferring the money directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, shunting out the role of middlemen and infusing transparency into the system in the purest form. 

Not very long ago, the system was different. Old, sick and disabled people, daily wage earners had to stand in the long queues to get their pension or other benefits from the disbursing offices and more often the biometric system fails to work or there would be no power supply and the person had to go home disappointed only for a replay of the scene on the next day. 

Much earlier, we had seen a Prime Minister who openly said that only 40 percent of the amount is going to the intended sections and expressed his helplessness to address the issue. 

We have also seen a Chief Minister, who went on record saying that those who did not vote for his Party had no right to use the welfare benefits of the government and they are not even supposed to use the infrastructure like roads and parks maintained by the Government. 

But here we have Chief Minister YS Jaga Mohan Reddy who firmly believes in direct transfer of amount to the beneficiaries and goes live on television, by tapping the key of the computer and the money gushing into the bank accounts instantly. 

The previous government, had all the technology which is being used now, at hand but it preferred to play its own game of politics and had vested the power of disbursing or sanctioning pensions, ration cards and other such benefits in the hands of its lower-rung leaders, who played havoc with the social system showing discrimination, nepotism and corruption pushing the populace to a point of rebellion which has reflected in the 2019 election results that gave YS Jagan Mohan Reddy a thumping mandate.  

During the 3,648 km Praja Sankalpa Yatra, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had seen people complaining of such rampant irregularities and could understand that only four or five persons of the eligible 1,000 people were getting the due benefits. 

The Yatra has changed the course of governance and DBT has taken over and disbursing became easy and transparent and the Village Secretariat system has been playing a vital role. Going one step ahead, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government has opened up new vistas in the social delivery system with the volunteer knocking at the door of the beneficiary on the first date of every month to hand over the pension amount. The disbursement is going on beyond caste, creed, religion or political affiliation and is being done on saturation mode with utter sincerity and fairness.

The Chief Minister, during the launch of every scheme, makes it a point to mention that if eligible persons are left out, they can apply within one month and their claim will be considered.  

Prominent schemes under DBT for the year 2020 are as follows: 

Jagananna Amma Vodi
Jagananna Amma Vodi provides Rs 15,000 assistance to mothers for sending her children to school up to Intermediate. Launched on January 9, 2020, Rs 6,349.63crore was transferred into the bank account of 42.33  lakh beneficiaries.

YSR Kapu Nestham
 Launched on June 24, an amount of Rs 353.81 crores was transferred to 2.36 lakh women belonging to Kapu, Telaga, Vontari and Balija communities in the age group of 45-60.  The scheme provides Rs 15,000 each to the beneficiaries for four years aggregating to Rs 75,000.  Subsequently Rs 137.98 crore was disbursed among 91,989 beneficiaries taking the total to Rs 491.79 crores.

YSR Cheyutha
 Launched on August 12, the State spends Rs 4,179.20crores annually to about 22.29 lakh women belonging to SC, ST, BC, Minorities in the age group of 45-60. Each beneficiary gets Rs 18,750 per month for a period of four years which aggregates to Rs 75,000. Subsequently Rs 424.93 crores were disbursed to 2.27 lakh eligible beneficiaries in the second phase taking the total amount transferred to Rs 4,604.13 crores.

YSR Matsyakara Bharosa
Under the scheme, 1,09,231 fishermen were given Rs 109.23 crores at the rate of Rs 10,000 each as financial assistance during the off-season(April 15-June 14) ban on fishing in high seas and due to lack of work due to Covid on May 6. (Previous year figure Rs 102.47 crores.)

Jaganannna Vasati Deevena
Under the scheme, Rs 1,220.99crore, benefitting 1,556,956 students was transferred on February 24 to the mother’s bank account of the student. ITI students get Rs 10,000, Polytechnic students Rs 15,000 and others get Rs 20,000 towards hostel and mess charges.

Jaganannna Vidya Deevena
This is total fees reimbursement and Rs 3,857.39 crore including Rs 1,880 crores due to the previous government was released on April 28 benefiting 19 lakh students.

YSR Vahana Mitra
The State has credited Rs 262.50 crores to 2,62,493 beneficiaries on June 4 at Rs 10,000 each for self driven autos and taxis towards repairs and maintenance for fitness certificate and vehicle tax of the vehicles. The Government also credited Rs11.52 Crore to 11,522 beneficiaries for the second year on November 9 covering those who could not make it in the first phase. (Previous year 239.93 crore).

YSR Netanna Nestam
The scheme aims at providing financial assistance of Rs 24,000 per annum to every weaver who has a loom in the house. The Scheme was to be launched on December 21, but due to Covid -19, the second round of the scheme was advanced by six months and was paid on June 20.
A total amount of Rs 166.34 crore was transferred to the 69,308 beneficiaries. The Government also credited Rs21.37 Crore to 8,903 beneficiaries on November 11 covering those who could not make it in the first phase. (Previous year 196.08 crore).

Jagananna Chedodu
Under the scheme, Rs 247.04 crore was credited to 2.47 lakh beneficiaries, who include tailors, barbers and dhobis, each getting Rs 10,000. Subsequently Rs 51.39 crore was released in second phase to eligible beneficiaries taking the total to 298.43 crore.

YSR Aasara
Launched on September 11 to handhold women Self Help Groups (SHGs) reimbursing their outstanding dues benefiting 88 lakh women in the State, Rs 6,792.21 crores was released as the first installment towards reimbursement of outstanding loans of 8.71 lakh SHGs.

YSR Sunna Vaddi (Farmers)
Under the scheme, Rs 510.32 crore was deposited into the bank accounts of 14.58 lakh farmers on November 17 towards interest subsidy for 2019 khariff and Rs 132 crore towards input subsidy for crops damaged in October to 1.98 lakh farmers. In all the State has released Rs 1,073.35 crores, which include the arrears of interest subsidy of the previous government.
YSR Sunna Vaddi (Self Help Groups)
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the YSR zero interest loan scheme to DWACRA Self Help Groups (SHGs) on April 24 and credited Rs 1,400.08 crores into the bank accounts of about 8.78 lakh groups benefiting over 91 lakh women. By this scheme each SHG will receive an amount of Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 without interest.

MSME Restart
A  ReStart package for MSMEs was launched on May 22 and Rs 450.26 crores was released as first installment and Rs 454.57crore was released to MSMEs on June 29 as second tranche.

One time financial assistance to Archakas, Imams, Pastors and Mouzams
Rs 5,000 credited in the accounts of Archakas, Imams, Pastors and Mouzams, as one time special financial aid in the wake of COVID pandemic. An amount of Rs 37.71crore is disbursed in the accounts of 77,290 beneficiaries.

YSR Rythu Bharosa
The Rythu Bharosa scheme was launched by Andhra Pradesh government in June 2019 aiming to provide financial assistance of Rs. 13, 500 in three installments ahead of khariff and rabi seasons with Rs 7,500 in May, Rs 4,000 in October and Rs 2,000 in January during the festival season.
For the second year (in 2020), Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has released Rs 3,675.25 crores towards Rythu Bharosa-PM Kisan benefitting 49, 43, 590 farmer families towards investment incentive ahead of the khariff season on May 15 and Rs 1,114.87 crores was released on October 27. The third installment of Rs 1009 crore would be released to 50.47 lakh farmers on December 29. (Previous year figure Rs 6,534.07 crores)

YSR Free Crop Insurance (Kharif)
‘YSR Free Crop Insurance’ scheme was launched on December 15, 2020 aiming to provide support to the farmers’ at all hard times without levying any burden of premium on farmers. The State Government directly credited Rs 1252 Crore into the bank accounts of 9.48 lakh farmers who have lost their crop during 2019.

YSR Pension Kanuka
Under, YSR Pension scheme, the Pension amount has been enchanced for old Age Persons, widow, Toddy Tappers, weavers, Single women, Fishermen, ART (PLHIV) Persons, Traditional Cobblers to Rs.2250/- per month, Disabled persons,Transgender and Dappu Artists to Rs.3,000/- per month, and also for people affected with Chronic Kidney Disease who are undergoing Dialysis both Government and network hospitals to Rs.10,000/- per month. The enhanced scale of pension came into effect from June, 2019 payable from 1st July, 2019 onwards.  Also, the Chief Minister announced that the pension enhancement will be effected from July 2021 taking from the existing Rs 2250 to Rs 2500.

Apart from direct benefit transfer schemes, the Chief Minister also implemented other welfare schemes like YSR Arogyasri, Jagananna Gorumudda, YSR Sampoorna Poshana, Jagananna Vidya Kanuka and House sites distribution to 30 lakh people aggregating to Rs 14,189.74 crore.

Also Read: YS Jagan's Innovative Reforms Has Changed The Face of Education System In AP