State to use Aadhaar data to select old age pensioners

For the first time, Karnataka will tap directly into the Aadhaar database to identify old age pensioners. This way, authorities will select eligible senior citizens and transfer the pension amount directly to their bank accounts.

The scheme, according to Revenue Minister R Ashoka, will be launched shortly in Udupi district as a pilot project. The minister will dispatch personalised letters to 3,000 eligible beneficiaries notifying their selection under the scheme.

Addressing a news conference, Ashoka said that it won’t be necessary for senior citizens to apply for old-age pensions henceforth. “The government will compile a list of beneficiaries and alert them to claim pension,” he said.

According to N Manjunath Prasad, Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, the list of beneficiaries will be generated by Deputy Commissioners’ of districts every month. “Average number of persons applying for old-age pension is around 1,000 per month,” he said.

Eligibility of the beneficiaries will be based on the date of birth entered in their Aadhaar cards.

Paperless census

Ashoka said the 8th decennial Census will be launched from April 15 and it will go on till May 29.

Compared to the previous Census, the upcoming one will be carried out using mobile apps, which will be installed in enumeration devices. “This will be the first paperless census,” he said.

Ashoka said that the department has launched a new initiative to reach out to the rural population. “Following meetings, Deputy Commissioners’ of districts have agreed to visit a gram panchayat in the district on the third Saturday of every month,” he said.

During these visits, several problems of the villagers concerning Revenue Department, such as clearing encroachments, providing burial grounds, identifying school dropouts, issuing property documents etc will be taken up, the minister said.

While DCs will host such events every month, assistant commissioners and tahsildars have been urged to carry out the activity every week. Of the 30,000 villages in the state, plans are afoot to reach 1,000 villages per month under the programme, he said.

On flood relief, he said that the government had enough funds to take up rehabilitation works in flood-hit regions of the state.