'Unusual increase' in voter IDs with recently changed DOB to avail pension benefits in Odisha: Report

The report stated that there has been an 'unusual increase' in the number of people producing their voter IDs, with recently changed date of birth. Voter ID is considered as a supporting document for scheme enrolment.

A report has flagged an 'unusual increase' in the number of people producing voter IDs with recently changed dates of birth to avail pension benefits in Odisha. Voter ID is considered a supporting document for scheme enrolment.

Earlier this year, the BJP government in Odisha hiked the social security pension from ₹1,200 to ₹3,500 per month for elderly people aged 80 and above. The state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved the proposal to enhance the social security pension effective from January.

However, a report by The Indian Express raised concerns over many applicants exploiting the scheme by altering their birth dates in their voter IDs.

After noticing the surge in people presenting voter cards for the scheme, R S Gopalan, secretary of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD), instructed district collectors to ask applicants to provide their previous voter IDs. This aims to verify if they had altered their date of birth to avail of the benefits.

Gopalan told the publication that authorities have been asked to match dates on old and new voter IDs to "prevent any disbursement of the social security pension scheme to ineligible beneficiaries."

Odisha's SSEPD Minister Nityananda Gond stated that strict action would be taken against anyone found manipulating their age in voter IDs.

Odisha spends over Rs 7,500 crore annually on the social security scheme. Previously, people aged 80 and above received Rs 1,200 per month, which was raised to Rs 3,500. Additionally, those above 60 years of age now receive Rs 1,000 per month.