Events

Events

Telangana Mahabubnagar all set for a digital transformation with BETS

Sep 14, 2017

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the District of Mahbubnagar, Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion (CDFI) and Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad to launch and roll out Benefit Entitlement Tracking Solution (BETS), for enabling digital inclusion of Mahbubnagar District in Telengana.

BETS is a CDFI supported digital platform that improves transparency, effectiveness and productivity through streamlined benefit delivery to its intended beneficiaries. Present on the dais during the signing were Mr. Ronald Rose, IAS, District Collector of Mahbubnagar; Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Head of Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad; and Mr. Krishnan Dharmarajan, Executive Director, Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion, New Delhi.

Considered as one of the most backward districts in the country, Mahbubnagar is Telangana’s largest district by area. The district has the highest rural population of the State (89%) and has a total of over three lakh households.

BETS is a citizen-centric, game-changing digital innovation that intends to create a transformational paradigm shift in service delivery mechanisms. Due to the pioneering initiative of Mr Ronald Rose IAS, this pilot will see BETS being rolled out in 45 anganwadi centres of Mahbubnagar.

Anganwadi centres (AWC’s) were established in partnership with UNICEF in 1975 as part of the Government of India’s Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). This unique programme employs and trains community women to deliver a range of services comprising supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-ups as well as pre-school non-formal education. Telangana is home to approximately 35,000 AWC’s catering to the reported needs of 18,96,844 new mothers, 5,18,215 infants and 21,58,479 pregnant women (2015 data).

The launch of the pilot will start after an induction training programme for AWC workers and helpers (post MoU signing). The digital inclusion pilot will address the vision that Telangana holds to transform anganwadis into proactive service providers for all beneficiaries served by them.