Government of India’s ambitious ‘Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh (PAHAL) scheme’ was acknowledged as the world’s largest cash transfer program (households) by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The scheme was formally launched as Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme for LPG subsidy in 2013 in 291 districts under the aegis of Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The scheme was modified and named as Pahal in November 2014 and was then again launched in 54 districts. Later it was extended nationwide on 1 January 2015.