Correct Answer :   Rs 5.5 Trillion

Transfer of assorted subsidies and sops to the beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has reached about Rs 5.5 trillion so far in the current financial year(FY2023), nearly the same as for the whole of FY21 and just 13% short of the achievement in the whole of FY22.

Given that a lot of dues are cleared in the last month of the year, the DBT transfers are expected to surpass Rs 6.3 trillion achieved in FY22.

Key Points :

* The DBT transfers are anticipated to surpass the Rs 6.3 trillion attained in FY22 because to the large number of dues that are paid in the final month of the year.

* While input costs and fertilizer prices almost doubled in just a year, farmers have received fertiliser subsidies totaling Rs 1.9 trillion so far this fiscal year, which is 53% more than the total of Rs 1.24 trillion in FY22.

* Given that there are still more than two months until the end of FY23, the amount of fertiliser that farmers received as subsidies for the entire year would be far larger than what has been previously reported.

* In contrast to the budget projection of Rs 1.05 trillion and the actual Rs 1.54 trillion (including dealer and manufacturer) in FY22, the overall fertiliser subsidy expense for the Centre is projected to be Rs 2.25 trillion for FY23 as against the budget estimate of Rs 1.05 trillion and the actual Rs 1.54 trillion (including dealer and manufacturer) in FY22.

* Subsidies worth Rs 1.5 trillion were transferred to beneficiaries via foodgrains under the public distribution system (PDS) so far in FY23. The food DBT through PDS will likely end the year around Rs 2.2 trillion in FY23, the same as in FY22. The elevated food DBT was due to the free grains scheme.

Among other major DBT schemes : The government’s assistance for beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awas Yojana-Rural (PMAY-R) beneficiaries in FY23 would likely exceed the FY22 achievement of about Rs 40,000 crore.

* So far in the current fiscal, DBT in PMAY-R has reached Rs 38,638 crore.

* The government’s cumulative savings on expenditure, thanks to the DBT till FY21-end, was 2.23 trillion.

* The jump in DBT from FY19 onwards could be largely attributed to the increased use of Aadhaar-enabled DBT platforms for in-kind food and fertiliser subsidy distribution.

* According to an estimate by the Centre, the Aadhaar-enabled DBT platform helped eliminate 41.1 million fake LPG connections, 39.9 million duplicate ration cards and resulted in 10% savings on wages on account of the deletion of non-existent MGNREGS beneficiaries...

Source : Financial Express