The finance ministry has asked public sector banks (PSBs) to ensure banking infrastructure for the implementation of the direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme in the 78 additional districts are completed by May 31 on a priority basis.
This is because the government has decided to extend DBT scheme to 78 more districts from July 1. Detailed instructions have been issued for opening accounts, seeding of Aadhaar and strengthening of banking infrastructure in the districts covered under DBT, the ministry said. Following the Budget announcement, PSBs have prepared plans to install ATM at their branches by March, 2014.
Due to the roll out of DBT, it is important that 43 districts under Phase-I of the DBT scheme and 78 districts under Phase-II are taken up on priority for installation of ATMs, the ministry said. It added banks should commence identification and preparation of site soon so that ATMs at all branches in these 121 districts are operational by June 30.
The ministry wants banks to seed Aadhaar number into the beneficiary accounts based on details received from the district administration or the concerned department without delay and upload it to the NPCI Mapper daily. Since these governmental agencies would have already verified the Aadhaar Number, there would be no need for the banks to reconfirm the Aadhaar, the ministry added.