Hyderabad: The Central government has decided to release funds directly to district collectors to start the campaign on cashless transactions. The move is being seen as the Centre is being suspicious that the funds will be diverted to other schemes, especially in non-BJP ruled states.
NITI-Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has asked the TS government to immediately send district-wise population data and bank account numbers of the district collectors. The Central government will release Rs 10 per head for this campaign.
On the basis of population, TS will get about Rs 35 crore and AP about Rs 45 crore. A senior officer said this was the first time funds are released directly to the district collectors by the Central government. Earlier too, Mr Kant had written a letter on incentives for digital payments directly to district collectors and had asked them to start the campaign on digital payments.
When a senior officer in the TS government asked NITI-Aayog officials why the funds were being released directly to the district collectors, he was told that the Central government is not sure if the state governments will not divert these funds.
