Patna: Bihar’s Social Welfare Department has uncovered serious irregularities in its flagship pension schemes, with more than two lakh deceased beneficiaries still enrolled, according to a high-level review led by department secretary Vandana Preyashi on Wednesday.
The meeting, held on November 19, 2025, reviewed the progress of all major social security schemes, including old-age pensions, disability support, widow pensions, death assistance, and marriage grants. Officials were instructed to intensify monitoring and accelerate performance against targets.
Preyashi stressed that the schemes were directly linked to the public, making “timeliness and accountability non-negotiable.”
Two Lakh Dead Beneficiaries Found
During the district-wise review of physical verification, officials reported that over two lakh beneficiaries under the Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme were found to be deceased.
In response, the secretary issued firm directives:
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Complete physical verification without delay
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Remove all deceased beneficiaries from rolls immediately
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Recover any pension funds transferred into accounts of the deceased
CSC to Conduct Mass Verification
Preyashi ordered that physical verification across disability, widow, and old-age pension schemes be carried out through Common Service Centres (CSCs). District Social Security officials have been directed to coordinate directly with CSC managers.
CSC representatives stated that nearly 80,000 personnel would be deployed to complete the process at scale.
Districts were also instructed to inform all pension holders that life authentication via CSC will be free of charge. No CSC worker is permitted to collect payment for this service.
Life authentication will begin from December 1, 2025, with all districts told to complete preparations in advance.
To prevent exclusion due to technology failures, CSC centres must be equipped with:
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Fingerprint authentication
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Iris scanning
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Face authentication
This ensures that “no pensioner is left out due to lack of suitable equipment,” the secretary said.
Progress of Schemes Reviewed
The department also assessed progress across multiple schemes:
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Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme:
Against a limit of 1,27,100 beneficiaries, 1,10,863 have been covered. Districts were instructed to expedite enrolment to meet the full target. -
Kabir Antyeshti (Funeral Assistance) Scheme:
Only 26,141 beneficiaries have been covered against an annual target of 73,977. Districts have been told to achieve 50% coverage by December 2025. -
National Family Benefit Scheme:
Of 35,859 eligible beneficiaries, only 8,566 have been reached so far. Districts must also reach 50% coverage by December 2025.
Strict Compliance Ordered
In her closing remarks, Preyashi instructed officials to maintain full transparency and sensitivity in verification.
She reminded districts:
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No pension payment must be transferred into the account of a deceased person.
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If such transfers have occurred, recovery must follow the standard SOP.
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Pending applications across all schemes must be cleared 100% without delay.
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Achievement of scheme-wise targets must remain a priority.
