The Union government’s direct cash transfer scheme linked to the Unique Identification (UID) number was launched with much fanfare in January with pilots in five districts of Rajasthan. The government believes this initiative is a game changer, which will successfully plug leakages in delivering entitlements to the poor and pluck out fake beneficiaries. Activists working at ground level have a different story to tell. The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) has been watching the government’s ambitious pilots unfold with dismay. Nikhil Dey of the MKSS witnessed the implementation of the direct cash transfer scheme in Kotkasim in Alwar district of Rajasthan.