Kerala violates Aadhaar SC verdict, denies pension to 3L
Aswin.JKumar@timesgroup.com 05.04.2018
Thiruvananthapuram: The Supreme Court recently ruled that pensions are rightful entitlement and not subsidy thus delinking disbursal of pensions from mandatory possession of Aadhaar, but Kerala’s LDF government, which swears by the working class, has denied pensions to around 3 lakh beneficiaries in the state – bulk of them blue collar workers – as they are yet to obtain an Aadhaar card.
The finance department distributes close to ₹80 crore to 10 lakh beneficiaries of 26 welfare fund boards in the state every month. In the latest order, the government has allotted ₹274.86 crore for clearing dues since December 2017 to 6.7 lakh beneficiaries of 17 welfare fund boards. Of these 6.32 lakh beneficiaries have Aadhaar. This allocation does not cover the beneficiaries of the remaining nine welfare boards. According to finance department officials, 3 lakh pension beneficiaries are yet to link their Aadhaar.
“We have come across instances where the same person avails pension from more than one welfare fund board. Aadhaar is the only way we can trace such people.,’’ said a senior official with the finance department.
However, Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac ruled out any apprehensions and said all welfare boards have been authorised for independent verification of beneficiaries. “There shall be no restrictions on availing welfare pension. We have instructed boards to conduct adalats and identify those who can be exempted from having Aadhaar and still avail pension,’’ Isaac told TOI.
Aswin.JKumar@timesgroup.com 05.04.2018
Thiruvananthapuram: The Supreme Court recently ruled that pensions are rightful entitlement and not subsidy thus delinking disbursal of pensions from mandatory possession of Aadhaar, but Kerala’s LDF government, which swears by the working class, has denied pensions to around 3 lakh beneficiaries in the state – bulk of them blue collar workers – as they are yet to obtain an Aadhaar card.
The finance department distributes close to ₹80 crore to 10 lakh beneficiaries of 26 welfare fund boards in the state every month. In the latest order, the government has allotted ₹274.86 crore for clearing dues since December 2017 to 6.7 lakh beneficiaries of 17 welfare fund boards. Of these 6.32 lakh beneficiaries have Aadhaar. This allocation does not cover the beneficiaries of the remaining nine welfare boards. According to finance department officials, 3 lakh pension beneficiaries are yet to link their Aadhaar.
“We have come across instances where the same person avails pension from more than one welfare fund board. Aadhaar is the only way we can trace such people.,’’ said a senior official with the finance department.
However, Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac ruled out any apprehensions and said all welfare boards have been authorised for independent verification of beneficiaries. “There shall be no restrictions on availing welfare pension. We have instructed boards to conduct adalats and identify those who can be exempted from having Aadhaar and still avail pension,’’ Isaac told TOI.
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