10,767 lose pension in F’bad for lack of Aadhaar linking

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 11

Around 10,767 persons have been denied pension benefits in the district for failing to get their pension accounts linked with Aadhaar cards. The total number of pensioners here has reduced to around 85,804 from 96,571 earlier after the Aadhaar linking process was started, it is learnt. However, this is 3.07 per cent of the total 3.5 lakh pensioners in the state who have failed to justify their claim through linking of their pension accounts with their Aadhaar cards. They will not get pension for September.

Their names were not in the latest list of pensioners in the district for reasons that the beneficiary being a resident of other state (whose Aadhaar card mentions his or her address of other state), or who has failed to get an Aadhaar card of the local address, or has been getting the benefit without any legible proof. “Many pensioners have failed to submit their documents in due time or have no proof to claim the benefit, forcing the authorities to cancel their pension,” says Susheela, District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) here. She adds pension of those who produce valid documents will be restored.

Susheela says the names of around 1,085 persons have been included again in the list of pensioners. Some names could have been deleted due to some glitches in the system. However, it is claimed that there could be many persons who might have been getting pension illegally till they were asked to get the claim validated by linking their pension accounts with their Aadhaar cards.

Monthly pension is provided to people in various categories, including old age, widows, divyangs, Laadli (girl child), orphans, non-school going children (under 18 years) and eunuchs. While Rs 1,600 per month is payable as pension in the most of the categories, non-school going children get Rs 1,000 per month.