Delhi govt to release pending old age pensions this week

Officials said that while more than 435,000 senior citizens are enrolled under the Old Age Pension Scheme, payments were delayed only for a section of beneficiaries.

The Delhi government will release the pending old age pension payments for senior citizens in Delhi this week after the social welfare department received approval from the finance department to clear the backlog caused by technical and administrative issues, officials said on Tuesday.

The Delhi government said social security for the elderly remains a top priority.

The government, in a statement said, that the decision follows directions from chief minister Rekha Gupta and social welfare minister Ravinder Indraj Singh, who intervened after complaints from beneficiaries who had not received their monthly assistance for several months.

Officials said that while more than 435,000 senior citizens are enrolled under the Old Age Pension Scheme, payments were delayed only for a section of beneficiaries.

“The process to release the stalled payments has been expedited and all remaining beneficiaries will start receiving their pensions from this week,” a senior official of the department said, adding that steps are being taken to prevent similar disruptions in the future.

The minister has also directed officials to make the payment process more transparent and accountable, and to put stronger monitoring systems in place to track delays, an official said.

The Delhi government said social security for the elderly remains a top priority. Apart from the pension scheme, the department is working on expanding old age homes and distributing assistive devices to improve the quality of life of senior citizens, the official said.