To ensure transparency in disbursement of pension, the Haryana government today transferred social security pensions of Rs 119 crore for the month of July directly into bank accounts of over 10 lakh beneficiaries.
As Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar pressed the remote button, the arrears of pension from March to June 2015 amounting to Rs 13.23 crore were also transferred to the accounts of beneficiaries.
Under the first phase of ambitious scheme, Thari Pension Thare Pass, over ten lakh beneficiaries living in 81 towns and 1,744 villages of the state would get pensions through banks and post offices.
The residents of other villages would, for the time being, get the pensions manually.
The beneficiaries of social security schemes would get their pension through different methods including banks, branch post offices, Resident Business Correspondent Agents (BCAs), Additional BCAs, Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS), Vodafone M-Pesa, Common Service Centres and Gramin Dak Sewaks, an official release said.
At present, there are over 23.3 lakh beneficiaries getting benefit under various social security schemes on which an expenditure of Rs 270 crore monthly is being incurred.
Speaking on the occasion, Khattar said that with a view to bring more transparency, the State Government had decided to disburse various social security pensions like Old Age Samman Allowance, Widow and destitute pension, Disability pension, Ladli Social Security Schemes, Financial Assistance to Destitute Children, allowances to Eunuchs, dwarfs and physically challenged children through the banks.
He said that disbursement of Social Security Pension through banks and post offices started from the month of February with 51 villages and has gradually increased to 1744 villages and all the 81 towns of the state covering almost half of the pensioners in the state.
He said that there has been an encouraging response in opening bank accounts.
The Chief Minister assured that each eligible beneficiary in the state would get pension and no beneficiary would be deprived of his or her benefit.
He further said that in case the pension is delayed due to any reason they would get the pension along with the arrears.
He said that those beneficiaries who did not have bank accounts should open their accounts in the nearby branches so that they could take the benefit of various social security pensions.
"The Social Justice and Empowerment Department would assist them for the same," Khattar said, adding that if a beneficiary does not open bank account within a specified period, he or she would be treated as ineligible.
