Bhubaneswar: The decision of the state government to stop paying pensions and other financial aid to the most vulnerable sections of society without Aadhaar linking during COVID-19 has created a controversy in the state.
The State Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) has written to District Social Security Officers to not allow payment of pensions under the social security schemes without Aadhaar.
The elderly, widow, sick, people living with HIV, differently-abled and transgender community receive pensions from the state government under the Madhu Babu Pension Scheme while many are covered under the Centre’s National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP).
“I am directed to say that regular pension under both NSAP and MBPY is to be disbursed in August along with an ex-gratia @1000 per beneficiary only to the Aadhaar verified pensioners through cash payment,” the letter from the SSEPD department told DSSOs.
According to data from the ministry of social justice, Odisha has a total of 49,70,568 beneficiaries under NSAP and MBPS. Out of this 41,30,515 have Aadhaar numbers. Of this 38,69,980 have their Aadhaar numbers verified. If pensioners without Aadhaar are not given pensions, close to 8.40 lakh beneficiaries would be deprived of pensions.
The state government, however, claimed that no eligible pensioners would be deprived of pensions. “There is no question of depriving any genuine pensioner or deleting their names from the scheme. Each block has an Aadhaar camp. As soon as we see any non Aadhaar beneficiaries, we will direct them for Aadhaar registration. Even the acknowledgement number of their applications will work. Genuine pensioners will not have any problem with this,” Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, SSEPD department secretary said.
