Alappuzha (Kerala): The number of social welfare pension beneficiaries in Kerala is set to decrease. Following the annual mustering process that commenced on Friday, the government plans to initiate rigid verification checks to weed out ineligible recipients.

There are currently 66.22 lakh beneficiaries in the state, comprising 51.87 lakh people receiving social security pensions and 14.35 lakh individuals getting pensions through various welfare fund boards. Disbursing the ₹3,000 monthly pension promised by the UDF government to such a vast pool of beneficiaries would require a staggering ₹1,986 crore every month. The pension amount currently stands at ₹2,000.

By eliminating unqualified recipients, the government aims to cushion the financial impact of the hiked pension rates. While deceased individuals are routinely removed from the database at the end of each annual mustering cycle, the influx of new applicants historically outpaces deletions, often driven by the interference of local political leaders. The upcoming drive intends to completely eliminate those who have crept into the system illegitimately, while also tightening scrutiny before approving new applications.

Under current guidelines, individuals with an annual family income exceeding ₹1 lakh, those owning more than one acre of land, income tax payers, owners of vehicles with engine capacities above 1,000 cc and recipients of other pensions are excluded from welfare schemes.

Despite this, numerous people continue to draw pensions by underreporting their income or concealing information about family members working abroad. The eligibility criteria will also be updated to ensure that genuinely deserving individuals are not left out.

Technical glitch: Mustering halted for hours

Meanwhile, welfare pension mustering was disrupted for several hours on its opening day due to a technical snag in the Jeevan Rekha portal. The breakdown was attributed to an issue at the State Data Centre.

As difficulties cropped up right at the start of the morning session, instructions were issued to limit portal access to just two employees per Akshaya centre, but the issue persisted.

The glitch disrupted various other digital services alongside the mustering. Authorities have urged the public not to panic or rush to centres, noting that the deadline for completing the mustering extends until September 30.