Karnataka old-age pension application review, Digi Mart USA News (Karnataka, India): Karnataka is reviewing 23 lakh applications for social-security pensions after officials found that some people aged 20 to 30 had allegedly submitted fake documents to claim old-age pensions, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara said.
He added that ineligible applications were being rejected and that pension payments, briefly paused during the verification exercise, had resumed.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Parameshwara said the review covered old-age, disability and other social-security pensions. He said several meetings had already been held on the exercise and that applications were being examined to identify beneficiaries who did not meet the eligibility conditions.
The deputy chief minister said the scrutiny had found applications from young people seeking a benefit intended for older residents. He did not provide a district-wise breakdown of the 23 lakh applications, the number of applications already rejected or details of the documents allegedly used in the cases.
The review has also taken place alongside a change in the income eligibility threshold. Parameshwara said the earlier annual income limit of ₹30,000 had been increased to ₹1.20 lakh.
The government was monitoring the process to ensure that eligible residents were not denied pensions because of their income, he said.
Pension disbursement had been suspended for a few days while the verification was under way, according to Parameshwara. He said the process had since restarted and assured that the problems would be resolved within the next 15 days.
The development places two administrative tasks together: removing applications that do not meet the rules and ensuring that genuine beneficiaries continue receiving support. The government has not disclosed the verification method, the agencies involved, or whether beneficiaries will have an appeal or correction process when an application is rejected.
The review covers multiple social-security schemes rather than old-age pensions alone. Disability pensions and other categories are also being reassessed, making the exercise broader than a single eligibility check.
The final effect on payment schedules and the number of beneficiaries will depend on the outcome of the ongoing scrutiny.
Parameshwara’s statement did not specify whether all 23 lakh applications were suspected of being fraudulent or whether the figure represented the total number being examined. It also did not state how many pension payments had been delayed during the temporary suspension.
The government has said that pension distribution has resumed and that the verification-related problems will be addressed within 15 days. Further details on rejected applications, pending payments and the status of eligible beneficiaries are expected as the review progresses.
