Delhi releases pensions pending for want of Aadhaar linking

New Delhi: All pensions, which were not released earlier as the beneficiaries' Aadhaar cards were not linked to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) portal, have been "increased and released", Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said on Monday.

He said this in a meeting with Secretary (Social Welfare Department) and other senior officials to discuss pension-related issues and pendency of the work.

The Social Welfare Department of the Delhi government had, in July, approved a proposal which did away with the mandatory linking of Aadhaar cards with bank accounts to avail the pension scheme. Earlier, those who did not have their Aadhaar cards linked to the NPCI portal were not receiving the increased pension.

"All beneficiaries are advised to get enrolled on NPCI portal (for subsidy), so that they would not face any problem in the continuity of their pensions in future," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said.

The NPCI is an umbrella organisation for all retail payments in India. It was set up under the guidance and support of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks Association (IBA).

He also instructed that all grievances be minimised with immediate effect at district level and district officers should ensure that no one has to come twice to get his problem resolved.

Officials, on their part, informed the Minister that all cases received during mega camps for transferring of MCD pensions have also been cleared and beneficiaries will now get their pensions soon from the department.