1.5 lakh hit for not providing linkage

Nearly 30% of about five lakh Provident Fund pensioners across Karnataka have not received their pension for the past two months, for not linking their Aadhaar details with the PF accounts.

Though the pensioners were informed over the last six months that the linkage was mandatory as part of the national policy for disbursement of pensions, nearly 1.5 lakh pensioners had not complied, sources said. They said since making Aadhaar mandatory was a policy decision taken by the Centre, similar cases could be there in other States too.

An official at the PF office said the measure was to ensure that benefits reached genuine beneficiaries. “Earlier, a survivor certificate was given at banks, and in some cases, those certificates were suspicious. Hence, Aadhaar was made mandatory. In fact, pensioners, after providing biometrics at the PF office, need not provide survivor certificates every year, which is currently the norm. From next year, they can go to their banks and give their thumb impression instead of the survivor certificate.”