60,345 ineligible Punjab farmers may lose old age pension
Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, August 8
As many as 60,345 farmers may lose their old age pension of Rs 1,500 per month after the government found them ineligible as their annual income is over Rs 60,000 per annum.
Income cap should be higher
A senior official in the Social Security Department said the government could amend the income rules and increase the income level for including beneficiaries in the old age pension scheme. The income level could be doubled and it will be brought before the Cabinet for its approval.
A survey of these farmers, who are listed as beneficiaries under the old age pension scheme, was conducted by the Social Security Department recently. The “J” forms submitted by these farmers with the Punjab Mandi Board revealed that the annual income of 60,345 farmers from sale of crops far exceeded the income level set by the government for giving the pension.
Notices have now been issued to these pensioners, asking them to explain why their pensions should not be stopped as their income levels were higher than the upper limit set under the scheme. These farmers have been asked to submit their income documents to the offices of Social Security Department in their districts.
This has led to a hue and cry, especially in rural areas of the state. Many leaders of the ruling party have also been taking up the matter with the government for fear of a political backlash of the decision at a time that elections to urban and rural local bodies are due.
Punjab Social Security Minister Dr Baljit Kaur told The Tribune that the income rules for identification of the beneficiaries under the scheme were framed by the previous governments and the AAP government was only trying to plug the loopholes. “Our effort is to ensure that those living on the edge should get the benefit,” she reiterated.
There are 22,19,584 old age pensioners in the state, who are getting a monthly pension of Rs 1,500 in their bank accounts. A sum of Rs 1,624.54 crore has been disbursed to them by the state government between April-July, of the total budget of Rs 3,720.27 crore reserved for the purpose for 2023-24. Other than this, the government gives social security pension to 6.05 lakh widowed and destitute women, 2.09 lakh destitute children and 2.57 lakh physically disadvantaged persons. A sum of Rs 5,650.60 crore has been set aside in 2023-24 for the social security pensions.
Official sources have told The Tribune that they have also asked these pensioners to submit copies of their voter and Aadhar cards as proof of age, so that ineligible pensioners can be weeded out. Men over 65 years of age and women over 58 years of age can get the old age pension.
