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Dharmendra Pradhan asks Odisha to review decision on pension payment in cash
Dharmendra Pradhan said Odisha should review the decision to make cash payments rather than bank transfers for payment of pension to old age, widows and divyangians in Odisha
Two days after the Odisha government decided to make cash payments to beneficiaries of its pension scheme under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana instead of transferring the amount into their bank account, Union education and skill development minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday urged chief minister Naveen Patnaik to review the decision.
The pension scheme covers residents above the age of 60 years, widows, leprosy patients with visible signs of deformity or any person unable to work due to deformity or disability.
On Monday, the Odisha government said it was stopping the system started in November 2019 to transfer money into bank accounts and will henceforth give the pension in cash through local panchayati raj representatives. Social security minister Ashok Panda attributed the decision to feedback that the beneficiaries were facing problems in withdrawing and collecting cash from their bank accounts.
Dharmendra Pradhan said it was a step back.
“Under Prime Minister Modi, we have strived to ensure that the fruits of government schemes reach every individual, without any pilferage. The Jan Dhan Yojana is a sterling example of this approach. Across India, a whopping 48.99 crore bank accounts have been opened under this scheme, amassing savings of ₹1.97 lakh crore. In Odisha itself, 2.01 crore bank accounts have been activated, saving ₹8,751 crore for the people of our state,” said Pradhan.
“Under the NSAP of Government of India, approx. 2.99 crore beneficiaries especially old, widow and physically disabled are being paid monthly pension directly in their bank accounts. Similarly in Odisha also, 20,95,695 beneficiaries are being provided with benefits through the DBT mechanism. You must appreciate the fact that these significant number of beneficiaries are being disbursed directly to their bank accounts, eliminating any possibility of corruption. Adoption of DBT has resulted in massive savings to the exchequer, by removal of fake / ghost beneficiaries and reducing need for intermediaries/ middlemen. This has immensely helped in plugging leakage and diversions and has eliminated scope of corruption. It promotes transparency by cutting down discretionary decision-making and opacity in processes,” added Pradhan.
The minister said Odisha had adopted DBT both in central and state schemes. Odisha’s total DBT in the financial year 2022-23 was ₹8135.18 crore which includes transfers through centrally sponsored schemes and state schemes and almost 1.95 crore beneficiaries have been covered in FY 2022-23.
“Due to the elimination of ghost/duplicated beneficiaries by adoption of DBT, Government of Odisha has made an estimated saving of ₹459.96 cr in FY 21-22. Needless to mention, the Government of India has saved approx ₹2.73 lakh crore cumulative till close of FY 2021-22 due to adoption of DBT,” he added.
