Punjab’s social security delivery system has come under scrutiny after the Punjab Transparency and Accountability Commission flagged 26,000 applications pending beyond the prescribed timelines across five notified services, with old-age pension cases accounting for nearly 90% of the backlog.
The pendency includes 24,000 old-age pension applications, raising concerns over delays in processing financial aid of ₹1,500 a month for eligible beneficiaries under Punjab’s old-age pension scheme, amounting to ₹18,000 a year.
In a letter dated October 14 to Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, principal secretary of the department of social security and development of women and children, commission chief Vijay Kumar Janjua called for the immediate disposal of pending applications and stricter monitoring of officials responsible for time-bound service delivery. The commission observed that the pendency amounted to a violation of the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Act, 2018, which mandates time-bound delivery of notified public services to eligible applicants.
The backlog covers the period from September 30, 2025, to September 30, 2026, according to the department’s monthly management information system (MIS) report dated October 1.
Of the 26,000 overdue applications, 24,000 relate to the old-age pension scheme. The remaining cases include 1,184 applications under the widow/destitute pension scheme, 626 under the dependent children pension scheme, 595 for senior citizen identity cards and 244 under the disability pension scheme.
{{/usCountry}}Of the 26,000 overdue applications, 24,000 relate to the old-age pension scheme. The remaining cases include 1,184 applications under the widow/destitute pension scheme, 626 under the dependent children pension scheme, 595 for senior citizen identity cards and 244 under the disability pension scheme.
{{/usCountry}}The principal secretary said the department was expediting the disposal of pending applications and expected to clear them soon.
The commission chief urged appellate authorities to take suo motu action against designated officers who fail to dispose of applications within the prescribed timelines. The department has been asked to take immediate corrective measures and strictly comply with the statutory deadlines.