Lok Sabha Question No. 428 (STARRED), answered on 2025-04-01
Subject: Payment of Pension under NSAP
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Imran Masood

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 428 ANSWERED ON 01/04/2025

## PAYMENT OF PENSION UNDER NSAP

## *428. SHRI IMRAN MASOOD:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the measures  taken by the Government  to address the inordinate delay in payment of pension at the State level in the name of Public Financial Management System (PFMS), National Payments  Corporation  of  India  (NPCI)  and  Aadhaar  seeding after  the  application  is  approved  at  the  district  level  under various pension schemes of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) including National Family Benefit Scheme; and
- (b) the details of applications received, sanctioned and the pension amount transferred to the beneficiary's bank account under  such  schemes  during  the  last  three  years  including Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

(SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)

- (a) & (b):       A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 428 FOR 01.04.2025 REGARDING PAYMENT OF PENSION UNDER NSAP

(a):  A  robust  web  portal  i.e.  NSAP-  Pension  Payment  System (NSAP-PPS)  linked  with  PFMS  has  been  operationalized  by  the Government  and  provided  to  States/UTs  as  an  end  to  end  digital solution for the implementation and monitoring of NSAP schemes. The portal inter alia facilitates speedy disbursal of pension through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode and ensures transparency.  In order to enhance efficiency in the sanction, payment and disbursement  process,  Aadhaar  seeding  in  beneficiary  data  has been adopted in implementation of NSAP. However, NSAP guidelines categorically provide that no beneficiary is denied his or her entitlements for the reason that she has no bank / Post Office account  and/or  Aadhaar  number.  Government  has  also  issued directives  to  all  States/UTs  to  ensure  that  use  of  technology  and digitization does not come in the way of delivery of benefits to the beneficiaries.

(b):  As per the guidelines of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), States/UTs are solely responsible for identification/selection of beneficiaries, verification of applications, sanctioning and last mile disbursal of pension to the beneficiaries.  As  per  the  information  provided  by  the  States/UTs using NSAP-PPS for implementation of NSAP Schemes, details of applications  received  and  sanctioned  by  the  States/UTs  under NSAP Schemes including NFBS during last three years is given in Annexure-I. A total of 14 States including Uttar Pradesh are using their own MIS for implementation of NSAP.

The  Central  funds  are  allocated  to  the  States/  UTs  on  the basis of State cap of beneficiaries or data of digitized beneficiaries of the particular State/UT, whichever  is lower. Further, the central funds are released  to States/UTs  on  a quarterly basis and further disbursal at District/Block/Village/Ward levels  is  done  by  the  State/UT  concerned.  Scheme-wise  funds released  to  the  States/UTs  during  last  three  years  is  given  at Annexure-II.

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## Annexure-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN PART (B) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.  428  FOR  01.04.2025  REGARDING  'PAYMENT  OF PENSION UNDER NSAP'

Details  of  applications  received  and  sanctioned  by  the  States/UTs under NSAP Schemes including NFBS during last three years

| States/UTs using NSAP-PPS      | States/UTs using NSAP-PPS   | States/UTs using NSAP-PPS   | States/UTs using NSAP-PPS   | States/UTs using NSAP-PPS   | States/UTs using NSAP-PPS   | States/UTs using NSAP-PPS   |
|--------------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Scheme                         | Application received        | Application received        | Application received        | Sanctioned                  | Sanctioned                  | Sanctioned                  |
|                                | New applicatio n            | Legacy data (migrated )     | Total                       | New applicatio n            | Legacy data (migrated )     | Total                       |
| National Old Age Scheme        | 466767                      | 760482                      | 122724 9                    | 360151                      | 760482                      | 112063 3                    |
| National Widow Scheme          | 90396                       | 273452                      | 363848                      | 76193                       | 273452                      | 349645                      |
| National Disabilit y Scheme    | 15261                       | 15611                       | 30872                       | 10705                       | 15611                       | 26316                       |
| National Family Benefit Scheme | 138047                      | 117735                      | 255782                      | 131862                      | 117735                      | 249597                      |
| Total                          | 710471                      | 1167280                     | 187775 1                    | 578911                      | 1167280                     | 174619 1                    |

*Source data: NSAP-PPS

## Annexure-II

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN PART (B) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.  428  FOR  01.04.2025  REGARDING  'PAYMENT  OF PENSION UNDER NSAP'

## Scheme-wise funds released to the States/UTs during last three years

| Scheme                         | Release (in crore)    |
|--------------------------------|-----------------------|
| National Old Age Scheme        | 5806.386827.566778.48 |
| National Widow Scheme          | 1769.192086.992009.80 |
| National Disability Scheme     | 237.39 278.57 310.47  |
| National Family Benefit Scheme | 339.25 458.88 336.48  |
| TOTAL                          | 8152.219652.009435.23 |

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