Uttar Pradesh sets record in direct benefit transfer

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has set a record of sorts in direct benefit transfer.

According to a spokesman, the state government has disbursed Rs 2.75 lakh crore through direct benefit transfer (DBT) under various welfare schemes in the last four-and-a-half years.

The government credited Rs 1,980 crore to the bank accounts of the parents of 1.8 crore students for the purchase school uniforms, sweaters, bags, shoes and socks.

"The success of DBT is beyond dispute. In the last budget session of the state Assembly, Governor Anandiben Patel had said that in the financial year 2020-21, the Yogi Adityanath government transferred more than Rs 56,000 crore directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries through DBT.

"In this process, middlemen were eliminated and payments became transparent. Uttar Pradesh has set new dimensions by record buying on GeM portal," the spokesman added.

He further said that while the DBT system was curbing corruption in the state, it was also proving to be a boon for farmers, labourers, daily wagers, students and pensioners.

"The scheme helped the government in taking quick and effective decisions during the unexpected Covid-19 lockdown in 2020," he further said.

The state government has also claimed to have set new dimensions of transparency in the procurement of government departments by making record purchases on the GeM portal.

For the third time in the financial year 2020-21, Uttar Pradesh was ranked number one for highest government procurement of Rs 5,471 crore through GeM portal.

In the last four-and-a-half years, Uttar Pradesh government has made a total purchase of over Rs 14,878 crore through GeM portal, said a government spokesman.