Rectify KYC errors blocking access to pensions, schemes: Jai Ram Thakur to Himachal govt

Shimla, Jul 16 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday claimed that KYC errors have prevented a large number of eligible beneficiaries from accessing pensions and government schemes, and demanded that the issue be fixed immediately. The former chief minister, in a press statement released here, said the serious complaints regarding the old age pension and Sahara scheme have been emerging from various areas of the state. "A large number of eligible elderly people have been deprived of pensions for a long time due to errors in identity verification (Know Your Customer or KYC) process and administrative negligence. The government should refrain from withholding pensions from needy people in the name of KYC," he said. Thakur further claimed that the state government has reduced the budget for SC, ST, OBC, minorities and social welfare in the current financial year from Rs 1,618 crore to Rs 604 crore. "Due to the 63 per cent budget cut, people are not receiving pensions. Consequently, the government is blocking other social welfare schemes, including old age pensions and Sahara pensions, under the guise of technical flaws like KYC. Eligible beneficiaries are suffering the consequences, and many people's pensions have not been initiated for a year or more," he said. The LoP further alleged that even more serious is the fact that many genuine beneficiaries of the Sahara scheme have been declared dead on record, and their pensions have been stopped. "Those whose pensions have been stopped without verification have suffered a grave injustice. The government should conduct an impartial investigation at the district level into all such cases and re-verify each case," the BJP leader said. He further demanded that all pending cases related to old age pension and Sahara Yojana be resolved quickly through a special campaign. "If negligence, incorrect KYC or factual errors are found on the part of any officer, employee or at any other level, the responsible officer should be held accountable, and appropriate action should be taken against them," he said. PTI COR PRK