
To
Shri S K Singh
Secretary (Rural Development)
Govt of India
Dear Shri Singh,
I hope you have seen my letter of 26th October 2024 addressed to the Finance Minister on computer glitches arising from Aadhar-Based Payments System (ABPS) adversely affecting direct bank transfer (DBT) benefits reaching beneficiaries (https://countercurrents.org/2024/10/ground-level-surveys-show-how-the-aadhar-based-payment-system-abps-has-excluded-crores-of-mgnrega-workers-from-employment/)
It is reported that your Ministry, instead of having a re-look at the working of ABPS at the field level, is trying to adopt a defensive stance (https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/mgnregs-demand-driven-scheme-not-possible-to-fix-enrolment-targets-centre/article68803043.ece, For the best experience read this on The Hindu App. https://bit.ly/THNewsApp)
I wonder whether you have read yet another report on difficulties faced by beneficiaries in fulfilling the KYC requirements imposed by banks, partly attributable to ABPS, as observedin Jharkhand (https://www.moneylife.in/article/aadhaar-ekyc-menace-75-percentage-village-households-have-at-least-1-bank-account-frozen/75441.html)
Instead of adamantly defending ABPS, I suggest that you organise sampling studies by independent social audit institutions on how the Direct Bank Transfer (DBS) of CSS benefits is performing in reality to understand the kind of glitches that continue to pose problems and correct them.
All the best,
Yours sincerely,
E A S Sarma
Former Secretary to the Government of India
Visakhapatnam