DBT, Jan Dhan changed welfare forever: FM

New Delhi

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday that schemes like Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Jan Dhan Yojana have changed the way welfare is delivered in India. These steps by the Narendra Modi-led government have improved transparency, cut corruption, and helped poor people directly.

She said DBT has made sure that help from the government goes straight to the people who need it. Over 1,200 government schemes now use DBT, which has transferred Rs 44 lakh crore to people’s bank accounts. This has saved the country Rs 3.48 lakh crore by stopping leakages and middlemen.

The Jan Dhan Yojana, the world’s largest financial inclusion scheme, has opened 55.44 crore bank accounts. Around 55.7% of these are held by women, showing strong efforts toward equality.

The Prime Minister MUDRA Yojana has also helped small business dreams come true. So far, over 52 crore loans worth Rs 33 lakh crore have been given, with 68% going to women.

PM Modi added that digital tools like DBT and better rural infrastructure have helped in faster delivery of welfare. With money going directly to accounts, waste has been reduced, and subsidies now make up just 9% of total spending—down from 16%.

Modi said that more than 25 crore people have come out of poverty because of these schemes. The government is working to build a strong, fair India where every person can live with dignity and pride.