Chandigarh, Aug. 15 -- Union minister for agriculture, farmers' welfare and rural development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday launched the central bank digital currency (CBDC)-based direct benefit transfer (DBT) system in Chandigarh under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

Under the system, eligible beneficiaries will receive food subsidies tokens directly into their CBDC wallets rather than via conventional bank account transfers. The subsidy can then be used to purchase foodgrains from empanelled merchants through a secure, traceable and real-time digital payment mechanism.

Chandigarh and Dadra & Nagar Haveli are the first in the country to operationalise this system.

Chouhan, who launched the project in the presen...