BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Government has made Aadhaar seeding mandatory for pensioners under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) but it has raised food security fears during the current pandemic.
NSAP and MBPY are social safety nets covering the most vulnerable sections - the elderly, persons with disabilities, widows, and transgenders who are entitled to a pension of Rs 500 to Rs 700 a month. Though meagre, the assistance is often a lifeline for them.
Of the total 49 lakh beneficiaries under both the schemes, the State has around 22 lakh beneficiaries under NSAP and 27 lakh under MBPY.
However, as per the updated National Dashboard, only 83 per cent (pc) of the NSAP accounts and 74 pc of MBPY accounts in Odisha have been Aadhaar verified which lends credence to the allegation that a large section could be left out of coverage during this critical phase.
Food rights activists claim that nearly 10 lakh people may be deprived of monthly pension and one-time ex-gratia of Rs 1000 each till their accounts are verified. Since Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department issued two circulars specifying that pensions and ex-gratia amount will be disbursed (in cash) only to those who have verified Aadhaar particulars, beneficiaries, who have not yet verified their account with Aadhaar number, will be the losers.
A major loophole in the decision could be the fact that elderly, persons with disabilities and comorbidities are advised to remain indoors to minimise risks during the Covid outbreak and Aadhaar seeding requirement may force them to seek enrollment. Odisha had originally opposed Aadhaar linking with pensioners’ account in 2017 on the grounds that it would cause hardship to beneficiaries.
However, in January 2020, it went back on this, and announced that pension accounts would be linked to Aadhaar.
The State Government had provided advance pension from April to July to pensioners in the State in March in view of the pandemic. The pensioners have urged the similar process be followed till the pandemic is over.
According to convener of Right to Food Campaign, Odisha, Sameet Panda, Aadhaar linkages have caused mass exclusion, both at the point of disbursal of welfare entitlements due to biometric or technical failures and during the process of seeding and verification.
“The Aadhaar-enabled Payments System (AePS) comes with its own share of failures, due to poor design, missing safeguards, and a confusing array of failure codes. Making Aadhaar a barrier to welfare entitlements, particularly during a pandemic, is a callous move with serious implications,” he pointed out.
However, SSEPD department Secretary Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma said Aadhaar verification has been made mandatory to make the process more transparent and not aimed at depriving people of their entitlements.
“The number of unverified accounts would be less. The left out pensioners will be paid ex-gratia and pension during the next round of disbursement after they produce their verified Aadhaar identification,” he added. An estimated `1,900 crore under MBPY and `1,300 under NSAP would be disbursed to pensions in the State apart from `481 crore one-time exgratia.
LOOPHOLES
Aadhaar seeding may require movement of elderly, persons with comorbidities outside their houses amid Covid scare
Only 83 pc of the National Social Assistance Programme accounts and 74 pc of Madhu Babu Pension Yojana have been Aadhaar verified
Large section of beneficiaries could be left out of coverage during this critical phase