Odisha govt to clear pension dues of over 20 lakh beneficiaries by October — Here’s all we know
The Odisha state government on Friday announced that it will clear pension dues of 20.33 lakh beneficiaries covered under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) by October, PTI reported.
In a written statement to the Odisha Assembly, state minister for Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Nityananda Gond said that beneficiaries who have not received their old-age pension due to technical glitches will do so by next month, it added.
“The government is aware that, due to various technical glitches, some of these beneficiaries have not received their pension payments for the past five months,” Gond stated.
What steps has the Odisha govt taken?
According to Gond’s statement, the government is taking steps in coordination with the finance department, the central government, and the treasury to address the issue. “Steps are being taken to ensure that beneficiaries who have not received their pensions get the pending payments along with arrears by October,” he added.
Notably, the issue of non-payment of social security pensions to elderly beneficiaries for several months had earlier been raised by the opposition BJD and Congress.
How much pension do beneficiaries get?
The Odisha state government provides pension of ₹1,000 per month to senior citizens aged 60 to 79 under the IGNOAP scheme, and ₹3,500 per month to those aged 80 and older, it added.
Nagaland examining delays in pension
Notably, earlier this month, PTI also reported that Nagaland‘s Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, told the Assembly that the state government is examining delays in pension and other retirement benefits for pensioners and is working on digitising the process.
Responding to a query raised by MLA Nuklutoshi on recurring delays in pension, gratuity, the General Provident Fund (GPF) / the National Pension Scheme (NPS), and other retirement benefits, CM Rio said.
As per the CM’s statement, part of the problem is that retirees are unaware about compliance procedures and have inadequate guidance about what pension papers and documents to submit. He added that delays also occur when departments issue provisional release orders late, affecting the process of obtaining no-demand certificates. In some cases, departments compile pension papers and forward them in bulk to the Accountant General’s office, instead of sending them individually, further delaying settlement.
According to Rio, the committee would examine the above-mentioned issues and other reasons and work towards digitisation the pension process in order to reduce procedural delays and errors.
