To facilitate the beneficiaries living in the rural areas of the state, Punjab government has decided to credit the old age pensions and financial assistance under other social security schemes directly into their accounts.

Disclosing this, social security minister Razia Sultana said that as per the earlier practice old age pension to the beneficiaries living in the rural areas was provided through the respective panchayats (village council).

She said that in that earlier regime, beneficiaries had to face big hurdles in getting the pensions, so the Captain Amarinder Singh government has amended the norms of such social security schemes.

Now, the old age pensions and financial assistance under other social security schemes be directly deposited into the accounts of the beneficiaries.

The minister said that the Punjab government has also raised the annual income limit for eligibility for pension and other social security schemes to Rs. 60,000 and the beneficiaries can now avail the benefit of these social security schemes by furnishing a self certificate in this regard.

Divulging details, Sultana said that to avail the benefit of pension an applicant should not be in government or private employment, and should not have annual income more than Rs. 60,000 from any source, including interest or rental income.

Further, the applicant would also need to provide a self-certificate that he/she does not have more than 2.5 acre Nehri (irrigated) or Chahi (non-irrigated) land, or five acre Barani land ownership and five acre land in waterlogged area (including husband and wife).

Social security minister said that as per earlier practice, before this amendment, approval rights for the provisional pension were vested with sub divisional magistrate and the beneficiaries from rural areas has to face obstacles to get the benefit of pensions.

She said that this procedure has been simplified and now child development and the executive officer of a municipal council and secretary of a municipal corporation have been authorised for accepting the application forms in rural and urban areas.