Question : Old Age Pension

(a) the details of the funds allocated and number of beneficiaries in different States including Haryana under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme during each of the last two years, State /UT-wise;

(b) whether there is a mechanism to ensure that the pension is reaching to the intended beneficiaries;

(c) whether the Government has identified additional beneficiaries under the amended eligibility criteria of the said scheme, if so, the details thereof;

(d ) the achievements made in this regard, State / UT-wise; and

(e ) whether the Government has any fresh proposal to increase the pension amount to the beneficiaries under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI BIRENDER SINGH)

a): Schemes under NSAP have been converted into a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) from the financial year 2014-15 and funds are now released Scheme- wise. However, prior to 2014-15 schemes under NSAP were under State Plan and funds for NSAP were allocated by Planning Commission and are released as Additional Central Assistance (ACA) to the States by the Ministry of Finance and by the Ministry of Home Affairs to Union Territories in a combined allocation for all the schemes under NSAP. Details of the funds allocated and the number of beneficiaries in different States including Haryana under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme during each of the last two year, State /UT-wise is at Annexure-I.

b): In order to increase the transparency and accountability in the implementation of schemes under NSAP, a software namely NSAP-MIS had been developed which captures all the essential processes and includes modules on identification, disbursement of pension, release of funds, verification, sanction of pension, ground for refusal etc. Sates have also to give monthly physical and financial progress of the schemes of NSAP in the Monthly Progress Report(MPR) . Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has also been introduced in the pension scheme of NSAP so that the pension may transfer in the accounts of beneficiaries regularly. Post facto verification with community participation is also done through social audit.

c): & (d): States / UTs have already been communicated about the estimated number of beneficiaries under the schemes of NSAP. States / UTs have also been communicated that they may add new names and delete the ineligible names from the BPL list 2002 on a continuous basis during the validity period of the BPL list 2002 for providing benefits to the eligible beneficiaries under different schemes of NSAP. The addition /deletion from the BPL List should be done following a transparent and participatory process which should also include an appellate system.

e): At present there is no proposal to increase the pension amount under the schemes of NSAP.

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