New Delhi, Jun 2 (PTI) A door-to-door third-party biometric verification of over five lakh beneficiaries receiving old-age and disability pensions in Delhi will begin within a month as part of the government’s effort to update beneficiary records and ensure welfare benefits reach only eligible recipients.
To facilitate the exercise, the department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Common Service Centre (CSC), which operates around 6,000 centres across the city. The CSC network will assist the department in carrying out the verification process at the beneficiaries’ residences, an official said.
“Under the exercise, survey personnel will visit beneficiaries door-to-door and conduct biometric authentication using fingerprint and iris scanners. They will also capture live photographs of the beneficiaries and update their records through electronic documentation,” he told PTI.
According to him, the verification drive is expected to begin within a month and is likely to be completed within five months.
“The objective is to ensure that pension benefits reach only eligible beneficiaries. During the verification process, biometric details and live photographs will be collected to establish the identity of pension holders and update records,” he said.
The official said the exercise is aimed at identifying cases where pension benefits may still be being disbursed despite the beneficiary having died, migrated from Delhi or otherwise becoming ineligible under the scheme’s norms.
“There are instances where pensions continue to be released even though the beneficiary is no longer eligible. The verification will help identify such cases and ensure that government resources are utilised more effectively,” he added.
The department believes that the exercise will help improve the accuracy of beneficiary databases and reduce leakages in welfare schemes. He said that the savings generated from removing ineligible beneficiaries could be utilised for other welfare initiatives and proposals of the department.
Given the scale of the exercise, the department has also set up a dedicated help desk to assist survey teams and address operational issues that may arise during the verification process, he said.
The proposal for the verification drive had earlier received cabinet approval and the department is now finalising the modalities for its implementation.
According to official data, more than 4.35 lakh senior citizens are currently enrolled under the Old Age Pension Scheme in Delhi. Beneficiaries in the age group of 60 to 69 years receive a monthly pension of Rs 2,000, while those aged 70 years and above are entitled to Rs 2,500 per month.
Apart from senior citizens, the verification exercise will also cover beneficiaries receiving pensions under schemes meant for persons with disabilities, officials said, adding that the initiative is expected to strengthen transparency and accountability in the delivery of social welfare benefits. PTI SHB APL
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