BJP MP says elderly not getting pension due to Aadhaar link

Thousands of elderly persons whose biometrics do not match their records anymore are facing trouble in getting their pension as well as getting any other Aadhaar-linked work done, a BJP member of the Lok Sabha said on Friday.

Bihar MP from Aurangabad Sushil Kumar Singh also mentioned the fraud where LPG subsidy belonging to different people worth Rs 190 crore was transferred in the account of telecom company Airtel, and demanded criminal action against the culprits.

"Old people are unable to get pensions since last one year as their thumb prints and retina scan do not match," Singh said.

He also said that his mother could not get a sim card in her own name due to problem in matching of fingerprints.

Mentioning the Airtel incident, he said: "It is a criminal act that someone's money is being transferred to other accounts without permission. Though the Petroleum Ministry has taken action, but there should be criminal proceedings against the culprits."

The MP urged the Centre to find a solution to the problem. "The government should seriously think about resolving this issue," he said.

A large number of LPG consumers had complained about non-credit of the LPG subsidy amounts into their earlier bank accounts, and on verification, it was found that these complaints pertained to those consumers who were Airtel customers and have opened account in Airtel Payments Bank.

As per reports, Airtel has written to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) promising to return Rs 190 crore, along with interest, to the consumers' original bank accounts that were linked to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

--IANS

ao/in/vm