New Delhi: People living below the poverty line will receive cash as subsidies and the process will start by March 2012, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in his general budget speech on Monday.
"The government will move towards direct cash transfer to people living below poverty line in a phased manner," Mukherjee said in his budget presented to the Lok Sabha.
A committee under Unique Identification Authority of India chairman Nandan Nilekani will be set up to design a mechanism that will allow millions of people to benefit from various subsidy schemes on foodgrain and fuel.
Huge leakages in various subsidy schemes like the public distribution scheme have led to the poor not benefiting much from various social welfare programmes of the federal government.
The finance minister said the system will be in place by March next year.