Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur on Wednesday instructed all District Social Security Officers in the state to collect income documents from original old-age pension beneficiaries within 15 days to ensure that the pension benefits are provided exclusively to those who are genuinely in need and eligible.
The Minister said that during pension-related actions taken, it was discovered that out of the J Form holders, 63,424 individuals are receiving old-age pension from the Department despite having an annual income exceeding Rs 60,000. However, for old-age pension, the beneficiary’s annual income should not exceed Rs 60,000.
The Minister emphasized that the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is dedicated to creating a corruption-free state.
“Many pensioners in the Department are farmers. The Punjab State Mandi Board issues J Forms to farmers, providing information about their income from crop sales. To accurately determine their annual income, the Department compared the data with that of the Punjab State Mandi Board,” she added.
The Minister highlighted that as per the policy, pension benefits should only be granted to individuals who genuinely need and meet the specified conditions. Once the department identifies such individuals, the Minister has instructed district officials to issue a 15-day notice to the concerned persons. Within 15 days of receiving the notice, beneficiaries should submit their income documents, such as income certificates or other necessary paperwork, to the District Social Security Officer's office in their district.
The Minister further stated that a survey of old-age pension beneficiaries was conducted by the department through Anganwadi workers in Punjab in July 2022, which resulted in the identification of 90,248 deceased beneficiaries.
The Department managed to recover Rs 25 crore from the inheritance of these beneficiaries. In accordance with the Minister's instructions, the process of surveying deceased beneficiaries through Anganwadi workers in Punjab has been initiated once again.
