BENGALURU: Senior citizens seeking pension benefits have raised concerns over the Rs 300 fee charged by Victoria Hospital for issuing age verification certificates, saying the amount is a financial burden on elderly people from economically weaker sections.
Around 800 senior citizens have reportedly approached ActionAid, an NGO working with vulnerable communities, complaining about the charge and seeking its withdrawal.
Rajesh K, a representative of ActionAid, said senior citizens have been paying Rs 300 for the certificate for the past six months. Many of those approaching the organisation are residents of slums who depend on government pensions for their livelihood and find the additional expense difficult to bear.
The organisation has urged the government to either withdraw the fee or provide certificates free of cost to economically disadvantaged senior citizens. The certificate is required by senior citizens to establish their age while applying for pension benefits.
Applicants have to visit Victoria Hospital, where a designated doctor examines them, fills out the application and provides the necessary seal and signature.
ActionAid representatives said the process and the fee create difficulties for elderly applicants, who are often dependent on others to accompany them to the hospital.
Responding to the complaints, Dr Vishwanath, Superintendent of Victoria Hospital, said the Rs 300 charge was based on an institutional order and that the practice is being followed for the past five years.
ActionAid representatives also alleged that there were differences in the amounts collected from applicants. According to them, some senior citizens were being charged Rs 100 without a receipt, while those paying Rs 300 were issued receipts. The organisation has sought clarity on the fee collection and questioned the basis for the difference in charges.
The NGO is planning to launch a signature campaign and submit them to Health Minister U T Khader. It plans to seek government’s intervention to review the charge and ensure senior citizens are not made to bear additional costs to access pension benefits.