TN to enhance data purity checks, weed out ineligible beneficiaries

CHENNAI: To ensure optimum reach for its welfare schemes and to prevent unethical, ineligible claims that are draining the State’s exchequer, the Tamil Nadu government has enhanced its online system to analyse beneficiary stats and ensure data purity. The data, available with various departments, will help identify and eliminate ineligible persons who’ve enrolled in various existing welfare schemes.

The move to develop a system for data purity comes against the backdrop of several complaints of ineligible persons siphoning off benefits under various welfare schemes/measures.

A senior official from the Special Programme Implementation Department, seeking anonymity, told DT Next that by ensuring the consistency of the data and reliability of the data generated under various government schemes, it is possible for the government to ensure optimum utilization of the funds and prevent unethical, ineligible claims of government benefits and curtail wasteful expenditure.

“The data purity process initiated by this government is the first of its kind in this State,” he said adding Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency (TNeGA) is undertaking this process by analyzing beneficiaries’ data available with various departments with the database of other government agencies.

The official said that after putting in place the data purity system, the TNeGA already identified ineligible beneficiaries under the jewel loan waiver scheme, pension schemes, Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS), PM Kisan programme and Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) beneficiaries.

“The Special Programme Implementation Department will facilitate the convergence meeting with stakeholding departments for elimination process of ineligible beneficiaries,” he said adding “this will result in substantial savings for the State exchequer”.

Stating that the monitoring officers will undertake inspections and hold review meetings on the schemes implemented in the districts and provide necessary advice/inputs to sort out the bottlenecks to ensure speedy implementation of the programme, the official said the panel will also review the major schemes of all departments.

“The formats for the review of the district monitoring officers will be updated on lines of theme-based monitoring,” he said adding “review of flagship schemes will be done separately”.