Bhubaneswar: The Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD), which recently made the pension system online, is planning to ensure minimum human involvement during COVID-19 threat.
It has asked Collectors to make people aware of the facility of online services for pension disbursement. The department has now made its pensions schemes, its applications, tracking and others online to reduce paper work and corruption.
This has been planned to avoid unnecessary visits of people from rural areas to cities. The online system has gained importance in the light of the expanding COVID-19 threat.
In a communication to Collectors, the department has asked officials to disseminate information about the transition to online system to more people.
“Anyone today can apply for social security pension under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Madhu Babu Pension Scheme (MSBY). The entire process starting from submission of applications by a person to sanction by competent authorities has been made online and the applicant can get updated status of his/her application,” the department said.
It also added, “This online system is an essential safety requirement in view of the current pandemic. Printing of application forms under both NSAP and MBPY will now be unnecessary.”
In a letter to the Collectors, the department said, “You were therefore requested to switch to online sanction of pension. You are now requested to take necessary steps for wide publication and awareness generation among the beneficiaries and also for imparting training to officials concerned at all levels.
“Under this system, the application is faster and the applicant can track the development of his plea in real time. Within a month, the fate of the application is decided and uploading of documents is done. The nodal officials are bound to pass the applications in the prescribed timeframe,” a senior official from the SSEPD department told this correspondent.
