Life verification has been completed for 1,03,13,620 of Bihar's 1,16,71,188 social security pension beneficiaries, covering 88.37% of the total, The Hindu reported from Patna on October 22, citing data from the Department of Social Welfare. Verification remains pending for 13,57,568 beneficiaries — yaani about 13.57 lakh, or roughly 1.36 million people.
Source: The Hindu via ScoopFeeds
Patna Press, reporting the same department figures, said the department has urged pensioners whose verification is pending to complete the process at the earliest so that beneficiary records stay accurate and pension disbursement continues regularly. A life certificate is the official document confirming that a pension beneficiary is alive, and the verification is used to check records and maintain transparency in the distribution system.
Source: Patna Press
Pensioners must submit an annual life certificate by November 30 each year to prevent pension payments from being suspended, the reports said. The schemes cover senior citizens, widowed women and persons with disabilities.
Madhubani recorded the highest number of completed verifications among Bihar's districts, with 5,09,290 beneficiaries verified. It was followed by Patna with 4,91,125, East Champaran with 4,85,930, Muzaffarpur with 4,62,294 and Samastipur with 4,35,744. Patna has the largest total enrolment in the state, with 6,17,153 pensioners on the rolls, followed by Madhubani with 5,88,855 enrolled, East Champaran with 5,66,316, Muzaffarpur with 5,20,559 and Gaya with 5,07,191.
Social Welfare Department Minister Dr Shweta Gupta told the media on Wednesday that the state government is committed to providing financial support to senior citizens, widowed women and persons with disabilities through the social security pension schemes, and that completing life verification is essential to verify beneficiary records and maintain transparency. She appealed to beneficiaries whose verification is still pending to complete it as soon as possible through the prescribed procedure, and said the department is making every effort to ensure no eligible beneficiary is left out for lack of information.
Total enrolled: 1,16,71,188 (yaani about 1.17 crore, roughly 11.67 million). Verified: 1,03,13,620 — 88.37%. Pending: 13,57,568 (yaani 13.57 lakh, about 1.36 million). Deadline: annual life certificate by November 30, or payments may be suspended. Top district for completed verifications: Madhubani, 5,09,290. Largest enrolment: Patna, 6,17,153.
What is solid
- Life verification is complete for 1,03,13,620 of 1,16,71,188 enrolled beneficiaries (88.37%), with 13,57,568 pending, and the annual life-certificate deadline is November 30 — Social Welfare Department data reported by The Hindu and Patna Press.
- Madhubani leads in completed verifications (5,09,290) while Patna has the largest enrolment (6,17,153) — The Hindu and Patna Press.
What is only claimed
- The figures are the Social Welfare Department's own published data as reported by the two outlets; Awaaz Punjab has not independently audited beneficiary records, and district rankings for enrolment and for completed verification are based on separate figures, as the reports note.