- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Tue, 22 Apr 2025 01:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Social Welfare Department of Uttar Pradesh is compiling a list of officials responsible for faulty verifications in the old age pension scheme, aiming to avoid such errors in the future. This step comes after a senior citizen personally complained to Social Welfare Minister Asim Arun about the suspension of his pension. An investigation later revealed flaws in the verification report, prompting the department to initiate corrective measures.
Currently, the department is verifying 61 lakh old age pension beneficiaries. Two major discrepancies have come to light: pensions of eligible elderly individuals being wrongly stopped due to incorrect verifications, and income tax-paying individuals receiving benefits under the scheme. The department is working to rectify these issues to ensure that only deserving beneficiaries receive pensions.
Strict action will be taken against the officials responsible after May 25. Additionally, steps are being taken to remove deceased beneficiaries from the pension rolls and prevent such lapses in the future.
Starting June, the department will also begin providing pensions to those identified under the Zero Poverty Campaign, offering Rs 1,000 every quarter. To accommodate the increasing number of beneficiaries, the state government has raised the budget for the Old Age/Farmer Pension Scheme from Rs 7,377 crore in 2024–25 to Rs 8,105 crore in 2025–26 — an increase of Rs 728 crore.
Director of Social Welfare, Kumar Prashant, stated that a list of officials who submitted incorrect verification reports is being prepared, and strict action will be taken against them.
