Rs. 4,31,138.05 crore—that is the latest estimate of the cumulative savings that the Narendra Modi government has made due to the nation-wide roll out of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Parliament was informed
of the same on Monday.
“The implementation of DBT and other governance reforms has led to the removal of duplicate and fake beneficiaries, and the plugging of leakages. As a result, the government has been able to better target genuine and deserving beneficiaries. These measures have resulted in estimated savings/benefits amounting to Rs. 4,31,138.05 crore (up to FY 2023-24),” the government said in a Parliament reply.
It also said that a record amount of Rs 36,65,57 crore had been sent to beneficiaries under various schemes through DBT in 2024-25. This has been showcased by the government as a zero-leakage mechanism in which every penny directly reaches the bank account of a beneficiary without any cut or middlemen.
How were these savings achieved?
The government’s official figures on the Rs 4,31,138 crore savings include the highest amount of Rs 2,49.972 from savings under the Public Distribution System of the Department of Food and Public Distribution. That comprises of more than 50 per cent of the total savings as government has deleted 5.87 crore duplicate and fake/non-existent ration cards.
The next highest savings are under the PAHAL scheme of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas—which are pegged at Rs 2,49,972.53. This is due to elimination of 4.23 crore duplicate, fake/non-existent, inactive LPG connections. In addition, number of non-subsidised LPG consumers is 2.38 crore. “The aforesaid numbers (4.23 crore + 2.38 crore) include 1.15 crore ‘Give-it-Up’ consumers,” the latest government data says.
Deletion of 1.26 crore fake and duplicate Job Cards under the MGNREGS of Ministry of Rural Development also resulted in savings of Rs 58,058.98 till March 2024. Similarly, deletion of 2.1 crore ineligible beneficiaries under the PM Kisan Scheme have brought about savings to the tune of Rs 22,106 crore, says the government.
