Lok Sabha Question No. 4734 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-24
Subject: Life Certificate to elderly pension holders
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Prataprao Govindrao  Patil Chikhalikar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PENSION & PENSIONERS' WELFARE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4734

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2021)

## LIFE CERTIFICATE TO ELDERLY PENSION HOLDERS

## †4734. SHRI PRATAPRAO PATIL CHIKHLIKAR:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  made  appropriate  and  easy  technical  and  managerial measures for providing life certificate to elderly pension holders by concerned Institution/Banks;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the difficulties experienced by old and physically  disabled  pensioners  in  submitting  Life  Certificates  through  technological innovation and they have to appear individually in the concerned Institution/Bank; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to ensure either to allow such pensioners to submit the Life  Certificate  via  phone  call  or  such  facilities  are  provided  at  their  doorsteps  by  a representative of bank or disbursing authority?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a)  and  (b):  Yes,  the  Government  has  taken  many  technical  and  managerial  measures  for providing Life Certificate easily to elderly pension holders by concerned institutions/banks. The details are as under:-

- Keeping in view the difficulties faced by very senior citizens aged 80 years and above, an exclusive  window  from  1st  October  onwards,  has  been  provided  to  them  to  avoid  the general rush from 1st November onwards.
- Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare started a Pilot Programme 'DLC from home campaign' in 2018 in 7 cities through Pensioners' Associations. The objective of the campaign was to extend support to aged and infirm pensioners in submission of Life Certificate digitally from home. In 2019, this project was expanded to cover 24 cities and this  has  continued  up  to  2021  as  well,  with  the  help  of  Registered  Pensioners' Associations

- Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare roped in the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and utilized its huge network of Postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks in providing doorstep home facility to pensioners for submission of life certificate digitally. As a result a  huge  number  of  pensioners  across  the  country  shall  be  able  to  avail doorstep  home service through  Postmen/  Gramin  Dak  Sevak by  paying  a  nominal  amount,  without queuing up at bank branches.

(c) and (d): Yes. In some cases due to fading bio-metrics, aged pensioners' finger bio-metrics are not captured by the bio-metric devices. Keeping in view such difficulties, IRIS enabled devices have been provided by this department to Pensioners' Associations which is more effective and convenient. Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare is also instrumental in roping in an Alliance comprising 12 Public Sector Banks which does 'Doorstep Banking' for its customers in 100 major cities of the country under Ease of banking reforms. As a result, Public Sector Banks (PSB) Alliance has introduced the service for collection of Life Certificates under the umbrella of Doorstep Banking. This Department also issued instructions, whereby the Banks were directed to resort to Video based Customer Identification Process for obtaining a Life Certificate within the guidelines of RBI which will obviate the need to resort to a bio-metric enabled device.

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