-The Economic Times The Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme commenced with the initial rollout in 20 districts covering seven scholarship schemes. Another 23 districts will be covered by March this year. The intention is to link all government benefits to Aadhaar-based identification of beneficiaries and to channelise the cash benefits through Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts. Irrespective of the merits of translating some benefits delivered in kind like in PDS into their cash-equivalent, for...

-Live Mint The project is part of the country’s ambitious cash-transfer plan for selected welfare programmes Bangalore: Karnataka will start transferring cash directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of India’s rural job guarantee scheme on a pilot basis in seven districts later this year, the state government said. This is part of the country’s ambitious cash-transfer plan for selected welfare programmes that the central government wants to eventually adopt across the...

-Live Mint Ministry wants UIDAI to be held liable for fake transactions, but the latter says that’s outside its mandate The transformation of India’s subsidy system to one in which cash is paid directly to the intended beneficiary is faced with a situation in which none of the various government agencies involved is willing to assume responsibility in cases of fraud, according to two people familiar with the development. The programme, the pilot...

-PTI In a stern warning to those not paying taxes, the income tax department on Monday said it is sending letters to 35,170 PAN (permanent account number) holders in the first phase for not filing returns and will take appropriate follow up action. There are over 12 lakh PAN holders who had not filed income tax returns, the department said, adding it has set up a nodal cell to monitor such cases. "In...

-Live Mint Income-tax department says firm had underpriced intragroup share transfer by Rs 15,000 cr and evaded taxes consequently The Indian arm of Royal Dutch Shell Plc , Shell India Pvt. Ltd, has been accused by the income-tax (I-T) authorities of underpricing an intragroup share transfer by ` 15,000 crore and consequently evading taxes, said a person familiar with the development.   Following the notice, which is one of the biggest transfer pricing orders...