CHENNAI: The state government made extraordinary efforts to coordinate with multiple agencies, including the RBI, to ensure that social security pensions were credited to 19.71 lakh beneficiaries on Monday, despite it being a bank holiday.
A total of Rs 238.76 crore was released, including Rs 185.95 crore from state government funds and Rs 52.81 crore from the union government, said an official statement from the Commissioner of Revenue Administration.
The beneficiaries include those covered under three social security pension schemes — old-age pension, widow pension and disability pension. Despite continuous holidays from September 11 to 14, the entire payment process was completed within a limited time window, the statement said.
“The transition to the SNS-SPARSH payment system involved a change in the established payment procedure. The TN government first took up the matter with the ministry of rural development. Following its approval, the matter was pursued with the pay and accounts office in Delhi.
Thereafter, based on TN government’s request, RBI made arrangements to facilitate the approval and the directorate of treasuries and accounts facilitated the onward movement of payment. As the final step, the National Payments Corporation of India provided a special payment window on Monday,” the statement said.
Around 35.37 lakh beneficiaries receive social security pensions under 12 categories. However, pensions for 19.71 lakh beneficiaries could not be credited until Friday as the centre’s component had not been received before the holidays.