Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) Regulation Act

From Right to food: Getting it right by Ashok Gulati & Kavery Gangul:

• Many countries have moved away from physical handling of grain to alternatives such as conditional cash transfers (CCT), food coupons, smart cards, etc. Some of the success stories of conditional cash or food transfers are Bolsa Família as part of Zero Hunger programme in Brazil, Food For Education programme in Bangladesh, Progresa and later Oportunidades in Mexico, etc.
• Studies suggest that such programmes have made considerable impact on educational, nutritional and health outcomes and poverty alleviation.
• India can adopt and innovate upon such programmes. Food coupons can be used in any retail outlet, not just for food grain but a larger list of food items. This is likely to remove the hegemony of fair-price shop dealers. CCT for girl child in school or the woman in the household can help ensure proper utilisation of benefits.
• The smart card or biometric card approach can be piloted in urban areas, particularly the 35 cities with a million-plus population each. There is scope for involving private players, be it retailers or IT companies, and even dovetail the efforts underway through the unique identification system.