As many as 1.6 crore duplicate and bogus ration cards have been eliminated, helping save about Rs10,000 crore in subsidy bill annually. Benefits and subsidies in as many as 74 schemes of 17 government departments and ministries are paid directly to beneficiaries under DBT, said finance secretary Ashok Lavasa. By and large, it is the food subsidy where we have been able to rationalise and bring it down. Similarly, in case of fertiliser subsidy, non urea subsidy there has been a reduction,” Lavasa told PTI. As many as 1.6 crore duplicate and bogus ration cards have been eliminated, helping save about Rs.10,000 crore in subsidy bill annually.

Source: Mint September 18, 2016 07:52 UTC