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Aadhaar not mandatory for pensions in Delhi

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New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday ruled that Aadhaar card will not be required to access the benefits of widow, old age and disability pensions.

“Many people face problems due to the inability of banks to link Aadhaar with their bank account. The Cabinet has decided to delink Aadhaar from the widow and age-old pension,” said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who chaired the cabinet meeting.

There have been reports of hardship being faced by people due to Aadhaar authentication. According to government data, 33,191 old age pension beneficiaries and 9,799 disability pension beneficiaries were not able to take the enhanced pensions because of systemic issues of the banks and/or the department.

“Now beneficiaries would not be penalised for system-related reasons. They will get the enhanced pension as well as pension at old rates, stopped due to lack of Aadhaar,” Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said.

The enhanced pension will be remitted from April 2018 to all beneficiaries who are getting the pension on old rates.

The Supreme Court had also questioned the mandatory use of Aadhaar card for drawing pension earlier this year.

Delhi’s Department of Social Welfare has implemented a number of schemes of financial assistance, including old age pension and disability pension, where amounts were credited to bank accounts of the beneficiaries on a recurring basis.

Under the old age pension, started in 1975 for people having a family income of Rs 100,000 or less per annum, Rs 2,000 per month is given to people between 60 and 69 years and Rs 2,500 per month to people who are 70 years and above.

The department has remitted assistance to 4.18 lakh beneficiaries for April-May 2018.

Under the disability pension, started in 2006, assistance is provided to all persons with the disability between 0-60 years and with a family income of Rs 100,000 or less per annum.

The department has remitted assistance of Rs 2,500 per month to 77,542 beneficiaries for April-May 2018.

The Delhi Cabinet in 2016 had made Aadhaar mandatory for availing financial assistance schemes for all the beneficiaries – new as well as existing.

This is not the first time the Delhi Cabinet has de-linked the Aadhaar for a scheme. In February, the Cabinet decided against making Aadhaar mandatory for the distribution of ration in the national capital.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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