Chandigarh: Chandigarh will become the first Union Territory in the country to undertake a full-fledged rollout of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)-based Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for food subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) on Aug 14.The launch of the digital rupee (e-rupee) initiative will be presided over by Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.“The initiative marks a shift in welfare delivery from physical distribution of subsidised foodgrains to DBT and now to a purpose-bound digital benefit through CBDC. Chandigarh had pioneered the DBT model for food subsidy in Sept 2015, transferring subsidies directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of eligible households,” said UT chief secretary H Rajesh Prasad while addressing a press conference.The CBDC model builds on this framework, with the digital rupee programmed specifically for the purchase of entitled foodgrains such as wheat and rice from authorised merchants. Beneficiaries will receive the digital subsidy, visit an empanelled merchant, scan a QR code and complete the purchase.The key feature of the system is programmability, which keeps the digital benefit linked to its intended purpose, while improving transparency, traceability, accountability and efficiency.A CBDC pilot had earlier been initiated in Gujarat, Puducherry and Chandigarh to explore targeted welfare delivery through the Digital Rupee.Union agriculture and farmers welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be the chief guest, while Union education, consumer affairs, food and public distribution and new and renewable energy minister Pralhad Joshi will be the special guest. The event will also be attended by minister of state for consumer affairs and food and public distribution Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.As part of the Aug 14 launch, the Union minister will also remotely launch the CBDC-based food subsidy initiative for Dadra and Nagar Haveli from Chandigarh.
