The Haryana Government has taken a major step in the interest of those people in the State who do not have any age proof for availing the benefit of old age allowance scheme. For such people, the age of their children would be considered as age proof, said Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Kavita Jain on Wednesday.She said that since year 2011, voter card, school certificate, birth certificate, driving licence and passport are valid for availing the benefit under the scheme in Haryana.
The Minister said that for availing the benefit of old age allowance scheme, the beneficiary should be 60 years or above and he should be the bona fide resident of Haryana.She said that complaints have been received from few districts that those people whose age is registered less than 60 years in the voter card, were getting prepared new voter cards from the election office by citing their age above 60 years just to take benefit of old age allowance scheme. Apart from this, the Department also got an information that the age of few new applicants are registered less in the voter cards whereas they are above 60 years.
Keeping all these facts in view, the new applicants were being asked to provide the age proof of their elder child in place of voter card, she added.She said that if the age of their elder child is 42 years or above and if the applicant is a female then her age would be considered as 60 years and if the applicant is male then his age would be considered as 63 years.All the district social welfare officers in the State have been directed to approve all these cases for old age allowance scheme, she added.