Bhubaneswar,Sept 5 [UDN}:: The Odisha Finance Department has issued a strict directive to all departments to make the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system used under government schemes more transparent, secure and fraud-free.
Henceforth, DBT payments will not be made merely on the basis of bank account numbers. Government assistance will be transferred directly only to bank accounts that are seeded with Aadhaar.
Additional Secretary of the Finance Department, Sagarika Hota, has written to departments implementing various DBT schemes, directing them to introduce the system at the earliest.
The letter referred to the recommendations made at the 7th meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for 2025–26. The PAC had recommended making Aadhaar seeding mandatory for DBT payments instead of relying solely on bank account numbers.
Under the new system, funds will be transferred directly to the Aadhaar-linked bank account. Any mismatch between Aadhaar details and bank records can also be identified.
The Finance Department stated that Aadhaar-bank account mapping will make it easier to verify the identity of genuine beneficiaries. The bank account that is active in the NPCI Mapper will receive the DBT payment.
The government expects the system to significantly curb payments to incorrect accounts, multiple payments in the name of a single beneficiary, and other irregularities.
The Finance Department has also directed that all DBT codes available on the DBT Bharat portal be updated accordingly.
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