Bhamashah Yojana is a scheme introduced by the Government of Rajasthan to transfer financial and non-financial benefits of governmental schemes directly to recipients. Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, inaugurated the scheme on 15 August 2014.
The Scheme is family–based programme of financial inclusion, where each family is issued a ‘Bhamashah Card’. Bhamashah platform leverages the JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile) trinity for electronic service delivery which eventually allows for digital the payments.
Benefits of different cash as well as non-cash schemes like Social Security Pensions, MGNREGA, Janani Suraksha Yojna, Rajshree Yojna, Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojna, Palanhar, Scholarships, Ration distribution etc. have been transacted through Bhamashah platform.
Withdrawal and digital payment facilities are available at more than 26,000 e-Mitra kiosks Business Correspondents, Pay Points & ATMs along with bank branches. Additionally, Mobile Wallets such as Paytm, m-pesa and Oxigen Wallet etc. have been integrated with Bhamashah Platform to provide mobile payment facility to beneficiaries.
Aim of Bhamashah Yojana:
- Financial inclusion, women empowerment & effective service delivery.
Important Features of Bhamashah Yojana:
- Direct benefit transfer scheme. Initially, envisaged in 2008 but finally revamped & launched in 2014.
- Multiple cash benefit accessed through the Bhamashah Card and transferred to bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
- Non-cash benefits are also given directly to entitled beneficiaries.
Mechanism of Bhamashah Yojana:
- Bank Accounts are being opened in the name of eldest lady of the house and a Bhamashah Card is being given to families across the state.
- All cash benefits under public welfare schemes will be directly transferred to these bank accounts.
- The card can also be used to transfer non-cash benefits of various government schemes.
- In Bamashah Scheme, at the time of enrollment, the full information of the family and all its members is added to Bhamashah Card. All the government schemes that any member of the family is entitled to, their information (such as pension numbers, NREGA job card numbers etc.) is also attached to Bhamashah. Individual beneficiaries bank account is also linked to Bhamashah, which benefits the government schemes (Pension, NREGA, Scholarship, Janani Suraksha etc.) on their due date on their bank accounts.
- Nomination to Bhamashah Scheme can be changed at e-mitra counters.
- Form facilitating withdrawals, the beneficiary is also provided with a Rupay debit card.
- Other than cash benefits, other benefits like ration distribution through Fair-Price shops are also made available through Bhamashah scheme by biometric authentication by fingerprint.
- Bhamashah platform leverages the JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile) trinity for electronic service delivery.
Bhamashah Card:
Biometric card- Not only females, even male members can make Bhamashah Card. Hence, following types:
Family Card:
- Bhamashah Card is issued to the woman head of the family free-of-cost by the State Government, wherein the essential information regarding entire family is given. The Bhamashah Card leverages biometric identity of the beneficiary through UID (Aadhaar) and also ensures linkage with his/her core bank enabled bank account.
Individual Card:
- Any member of the enrolled family can get the Individual Bhamashah Card by paying a nominal fee. This card, apart from being an Identity Card, highlights individual’s entitlements eg. Pensioner; Unorganised Labourer, etc.
New Initiatives:
Initiatives undertaken to promote digital payments include:
- Extension of banking services
- Appointment ofAdditional BCs
- Development of Merchantile PoS
- IEC campaign
- Integration of Digital Payment mode in e-Mitra
In case of Non-cash benefits, such as ration distribution, the Fair Price Shops (FPS) have been I.T. enabled with deployment of approximately 25,000 points of service (PoS) terminals that allow for biometric verification of beneficiary.
To provide statutory institutional framework to the Bhamashah Yojna, “The Rajasthan Bhamashah (Direct Transfer of Public Welfare Benefits and Delivery of Services) Act, 2017″ has been passed by the Rajasthan State Assembly in April, 2017.
The Administrative Reports of the benefits transferred through the Bhamashah Yajana platform are presented for social audit in the month of May and November, 2017 in the Gram Sabha at each Gram Panchayat.
External References:
- Government Document
