Haryana to use biometric system for paying pensioners from January 1

“It is an innovative and a highly ambitious scheme and the state government is keen to implement it at the earliest. We plan to launch the scheme from January 1. The most important element of the scheme is that 8 per cent of the poorest of the poor in the state will be finally included in the banking system,” says Ashok Khemka,Director and Special Secretary,Social Justice and Empowerment.

Khemka says fingerprints of the beneficiaries will be recorded for the disbursement of pension. “A separate document will also be provided to the beneficiary to prove his or her identity. Distribution of pension will become easier and more transparent in the biometric system. Money will be directly deposited in the bank amount of the pensioners,without involving patwaris. The present system not only results in delayed payment,but also increases chances of fraudulent means being used by people to siphon off government money,” he adds.

The distribution of Old Age Samman allowance is also proposed to be done through the biometric system. Earlier,the Haryana government had planned the use of this system in only eight districts,but now the entire state is proposed to be covered from the first day of 2011.

Past records show there are thousands of bogus claimants of pension in the state. In many instances,pensions are even withdrawn in the name of dead people. According to sources,almost 30 per cent of the total amount spent on pensions is pocketed by bogus claimants. Such discrepancies are proposed to be checked under the biometric system of payment.

A year ago,the government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with six banks for the purpose. Later,services of five more banks were included to cover 21 districts of the state.

The Haryana government will pay 2 per cent of the total pension amount to these banks. “The government will make a lot of savings through the new scheme,as it pays around 10 to 12 per cent to its staff for the distribution of pension at present,” says Khemka.