CHANDIGARH, AUG 4
With a view to ensure complete transparency in disbursement of social security pensions, Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal transferred social security pensions of July 2015 amounting to about Rs 119 crore directly into the bank accounts of 10,01,795 eligible beneficiaries under the scheme “Thari Pension Thare Pass” by pressing a button here today. He also transferred the arrear of pension from March to June 2015 amounting to Rs 13.23 crore.
Under the first phase of this ambitious scheme, over ten lakh beneficiaries living in 1,744 villages and all the 81 towns in the State would get pensions through banks and post offices. The residents of other villages would, for the time being, get the pension 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. The beneficiaries could withdraw the amount as per their requirement as and when they feel convenient. At present there are over 23.3 lakh beneficiaries getting benefit under various social security schemes upon which an expenditure of Rs. 270 crores monthly is being incurred.
While speaking on the occasion, Mr Manohar Lal 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, Allowances to Dwarfs and Disabled Children through Banks. He said that disbursement of Social Security Pension through banks and post offices was 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 said that in case the pension is delayed due to some reason they would get the pension along with the arrear. 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 . He said that if a beneficiary does not open bank account within a specified period, he or she would be treated as ineligible. However, if thereafter any eligible beneficiary is left out, he or she could also open bank account with the help of the department. He said that the moment they open their account, the arrear of the pension would be deposited in their account.
He said that the foremost priority of the State government is to ensure the distribution of pension in the remote villages of the State through banks and post offices.
The Chief Minister said that those villages where there are no bank branches, pension would be disbursed through Business Correspondent Agents (BCAs) of banks located in the nearby villages and through Post Offices. Apart from this, those beneficiaries who are above 80 years of age and are not physically fit to go to banks to collect their pension, they would be given pension at their door step.
He also congratulated the Punjab National Bank, Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank and HARCO Bank for opening maximum number of bank accounts of the beneficiaries under the scheme. Besides, he also exhorted other institutions to complete their allotted work in a prescribed time limit. He said that more than 11 lakh bank accounts of beneficiaries have so far been opened in the State. He urged the Social Justice and Empowerment department and the banks to cover all beneficiaries under this scheme within two months so as to achieve the target.
Speaking on this occasion, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Mrs Kavita Jain said that some beneficiaries had not opened their bank accounts till end of July despite three notices. Out of them 1,12,227 beneficiaries, who have opened their bank accounts now have been given arrears amounting to Rs. 13.23 crore from March to May by crediting the same into their bank accounts. This is the first time in the history of the country that any state government has paid arrears of its own. She said that over 1.44 lakh fresh pensions had been sanctioned till June 2015 by the BJP government in the State and instructions have been issued to dispose off all fresh and pending cases within two months.
Additional Chief Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Department Mr Sunil Gulati said that the State Government has so far transferred Rs 370.43 crore as pension directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries. He said that now there would be no scope of misappropriation in the distribution of pension. Now, anybody can also see pension ledger along with arrear details month wise for 2015-16 or even 2014-15 on the link http://web1.hry.nic.in/
Other present on this occasion included Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Mr Krishan Kumar, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr R.K Khullar, Additional Principal Secretary Mr Rakesh Gupta, OSDs namely Mr Jawahar Yadav and Mr Vijay Sharma, representatives of leading banks and other senior officers of the State Government.
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