Now, social security pension only through bank accounts

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, January 25

The Haryana Government has decided to disburse social security pension through dedicated bank accounts (accounts only for pension related transactions) in three phases.

Yamunanagar District Social Welfare Officer Amit Sharma said 53,932 pensioners, including 19,468 rural and 34,464 urban, out of a total of 1,12,700 pensioners in Yamunanagar district would be covered in the first phase.

In this phase, bank accounts will be opened in urban, semi-urban areas and those villages where branches of banks are functional. The pension will be directly credited in the accounts from February, which will be payable in March.

In the second phase, bank accounts will be opened in villages where business correspondence agents (BCAs) of banks are stationed to enable the disbursement of pension from March, which will be payable in April. The remaining villages will be covered in third phase.

Sources said bank accounts of beneficiaries for the first and the second phase should be opened simultaneously before February 15. “Dedicated bank accounts will be used only for the pension purpose. Account holders will not be entitled to the facilities of ATM, debit card and cheque books. Disbursement to beneficiaries will be made through a withdrawal slip,” said Vipin Sareen, lead district manager.

Sources said dedicated bank accounts were being opened to prevent misappropriation of the public money in the event of death of the beneficiary.

“In case of non-withdrawal of any amount by the beneficiary for three months, the department will stop remittance into such bank accounts. Bank accounts where the amount will not be withdrawn by the beneficiaries up to the 10th day of the fourth calendar month will be deemed to be frozen,” said an official.

Beneficiaries who are 90 years of above will be given the pension at their doorstep. Those availing disability pension and are bedridden, other pensioners who are bedridden and those who have been declared medically unfit to walk by the authorities are also entitled to the facility.