Beneficiaries of Aadhaar-based direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme have been left in the lurch in three districts owing to delay and the Centre’s failure to announce a new date for launch of the project.

The much-vaunted scheme was scheduled to take off in the state starting with Arwal, Sheohar and Sheikhpura from July 1 in the second phase.

However, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) could neither issue Aadhaar numbers nor could open bank accounts of beneficiaries.

Though no new deadline has been fixed by the Centre, authorities in the state and the local administrations in the three districts have been asked to finalise groundwork at the earliest.

The Centre, in a video-conferencing review meeting on Monday assured that if things go in order, the DBT scheme could be launched in the three districts within 15 days.

“The scheme could not be launched in the three districts on the stipulated day. A review was made on the groundwork done so far that include biometric survey for Aadhaar number and opening of bank accounts. In Sheikhpura, around 75 per cent of 6,700 beneficiaries has been covered for biometric registration and bank accounts have been opened for around 80 per cent beneficiaries,” said Sanjay Kumar Singh, district magistrate, Sheikhpura.

On the Centre’s failure to announce a new deadline for the formal launch of DBT in the three districts, Singh said: “We were not given any new date for launch but we were assured that based on the progress made, the transfer of welfare amount directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries could start within the next 15 days.”

There has also been a delay in verification of digital signatures of the district-and state-level authorities by the Centre, which is mandatory for commencement of the DBT scheme.

“The direct transfer of welfare amount cannot start unless the digital signatures of disbursement officers are registered with the National Informatics Centre, Delhi. However, the same has not been done for the three districts till date,” said a senior state government official.

Sources said biometric survey of around 86 per cent of beneficiaries has been done in Sheohar. In Arwal, registration of 80 per cent of 13,668 beneficiaries has been completed and bank accounts have been opened for around 8,000 beneficiaries.