THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is set to announce an annual mandatory mustering exercise for social security pensioners, with Akshaya centres assigned to carry out Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for beneficiaries numbering around 52 lakhs.
The government order on mandatory mustering is expected to be issued next week, according to a source.
Akshaya centres will offer home-based mustering for bedridden or severely ill persons, charging Rs 30 for mustering at the centre and Rs 50 for home-based mustering.
Those who joined the scheme until December 2022 will be required to participate in the exercise, which will be available for three months starting April 1. India Post had also submitted a proposal to conduct biometric mustering, but the government opted for Akshaya following representations from entrepreneurs running the centres.
The government is taking steps to exclude ineligible persons from the scheme due to a severe cash crunch. About Rs, 900 crores are required for the monthly payment to 52.50 lakh social security pensioners and seven lakh pensioners under various welfare fund boards.
Social security pension spending is about Rs 770 crore, while welfare fund board pension spending is around Rs 110 crore.
Earlier, beneficiaries who enrolled in the scheme until 31 December 2019 were asked to submit fresh income certificates to ensure their eligibility, with the deadline for submitting certificates at local self-governments ending on 28 February. The government is yet to determine the number of people who failed to submit certificates as the LSGs have not completed uploading the certificates on the pension portal.
It is assumed that tens of thousands of people would not have submitted the certificate, with some having joined the scheme when the upper ceiling on family income was briefly raised to Rs 3 lakh under the previous UDF government.
