Now Reading: Chandigarh to launch digital rupee for PMGKAY food subsidy on August 14
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Chandigarh to launch digital rupee for PMGKAY food subsidy on August 14
Chandigarh to launch digital rupee for PMGKAY food subsidy on August 14
Chandigarh will on August 14 become the first Union Territory to fully roll out the digital rupee (e-rupee) for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).…
The Story in Brief
Chandigarh will on August 14 become the first Union Territory to fully roll out the digital rupee (e-rupee) for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). The digital rupee, a tokenised version of the Indian rupee issued by the RBI, will be programmed to buy wheat and rice from authorised merchants using QR codes.
The move builds on a pilot in Gujarat, Puducherry and Chandigarh, and aims to replace physical distribution with a secure, traceable and purpose-bound digital subsidy. Beneficiaries with Aadhaar-linked accounts will receive the digital benefit and spend it only at empanelled shops, strengthening transparency and efficiency in welfare delivery, according to an official statement.
The Indian Opinion
Officials claim the CBDC system will curb leakages in food subsidy, but the real test is whether it reaches those without smartphones or reliable internet in Chandigarh. The narrative that digital-only welfare is universally more efficient ignores ground-level hurdles like literacy and connectivity. Will the administration provide offline alternatives or grievance redress for failed QR transactions?
Source: rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
