Provide Old Age Pension To 15 Individuals Without Aadhaar Cards After Verification: Allahabad HC Directs Unnao Govt Official

The Allahabad High Court last week directed the District Social Welfare Officer, Unnao to provide old-age pensions to 15 individuals who had approached the Court after being denied old-age pensions due to the non-availability of Aadhaar cards and mobile phones.

"The Officer may satisfy himself about the genuineness of the petitioners, however, he would not insist on production of mobile numbers/Aadhar Cards and in case he comes to the conclusion about the genuineness of the petitioners and that they are not being paid old age pension, the same would be paid to them," a bench of Chief Justcie Arun Bhansali and Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi ordered while dealing with a Public Interest Litigaiton (PIL) plea.

Essentially, the PIL plea was moved by a total of 15 individuals/petitioners claiming that they do not have mobile numbers or Aadhar Cards on account of their financial status/for lack of ridges on their thumb and fingers. They claimed that on account of lack of said mobile numbers or Aadhar Cards, they are being denied old age pension.

They contended that they could be subjected to any kind of verification other than the said two requirements of having mobile numbers or Aadhar Cards and on the respondents being satisfied, they may be directed to re-start the old age pension to the petitioners.

It was suggested to the bench that one such method to find out the existence/identity of the petitioners was through their bank account numbers as the Pass Books of the petitioners would be bearing their photos.

In that view of the matter, the petitioners were directed to appear before the District Social Welfare Officer, Unnao on Feb 29 along with their Pass Books or any other material to indicate that they were being paid the old age pension before its alleged stoppage.

In turn, the Court directed the officer concerned to satisfy himself about the genuineness of the petitioners, without insisting on the production of mobile numbers/Aadhar Cards and in case he comes to the conclusion about the genuineness of the petitioners and the fact that they are not being paid old age pension, the same would be paid to them.

The Court further ordered that the verification report and the action taken by the respondents may be produced before the Court on the next date (March 12).

Case title - Mohana And Others vs. State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Deptt. Of Social Welafre , Civil Secrt. Lko. And Others

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