Shreyas Hs By

Express News Service

RAICHUR: Shekh Mahimood and his wife Bibi have not been receiving their monthly pensions for several months because of a discrepancy in their Aadhaar cards. Many other elderly citizens in Raichur district are also being deprived of their pension for issues in their year of birth (YoB) at the time of enrolment for Aadhaar.

Mahimood (69) was drawing Rs 500 jointly from central and state schemes. However, the amount, which was paid through the postal department, stopped reaching him 11 months ago. He has now approached the district Aadhaar coordination office and submitted a request with the regional office of UIDAI to get his year of birth changed.

Mahimood’s Aadhaar card

District Aadhaar coordinator Basheer said five to six senior citizens have been coming every week since January with the same complaint. But as per the updated rules of UIDAI, if the mismatch is plus or minus three years, updation cannot be done at the district level, and the complainants have to visit the regional office. According to Mahimood’s Aadhaar card, his YoB is 1964, which makes him 55 years old.

However, the minimum age to avail benefits of the central scheme is 60 years, while for the state’s, he must be above 65. Mahimood has now obtained a certificate from the medical officer of the government Unani hospital, saying that he was born in 1950.

Mahimood told The New Indian Express, “I cannot even walk properly, how can I travel over 400 km to change the birth year?”Bibi said her year of birth is 1955, which is also stated in the voter ID card, but the Aadhaar card mentions it as 1966.

As Aadhaar has been mandatory to avail benefits of all government schemes, the concerned department has to verify details, after which a revised list is generated. If a mismatch is found in the date of birth mentioned on the Aadhaar card and that stated during enrolment for the scheme, the beneficiary’s name is removed from the list.