Tech snag delays KYC updation

Tirupati: The pensioners have been facing plethora of problems for reviving the social security benefit provided to them by the government. As many as 1,151 pensioners were directed by the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) to complete the formalities under Know Your Customer (KYC) to continue the pension benefit being provided to them, before this month end or else the benefit will be stopped.

The pensioners have failed to get their details recorded in the ‘smart pulse survey’ held two years ago leading to the MCT asking them personally to appear for recording their details and update the finger print (bio-metric) to avoid discontinuation of the pension to them.

Following this, aged, differently abled, widow and other category of pensioners rushed to municipal corporation office for reviving the benefit. However, the process of updating finger print by these pensioners has become an ordeal for them due to inordinate delay in the technical process. Many people have to make rounds to the civic office four or five times facing much difficulty.

Inquiries revealed that the tabs provided to the staff are much worn out while the server capacity at the central point (Amaravati) is inadequate to cope with updating the large amount of data, compounding the woes of the pensioners. Palani, a fifty-year-old differently abled virtually drag himself as he cannot walk, to reach the help desk where the updating of finger print is being done in the corporation office here after alighting from the auto. He visited the office thrice before completing the process on the fourth time.

While the case of another woman Ramadevi was more pathetic. She came to the corporation office since May 1 and is still to complete updating finger print process. A woman employee said ‘it is not in our hands as the system is centrally controlled at Amaravati. Unless, it smoothly works, the process cannot be completed so easily. She admitted that it is taking several attempts for completion of finger print update, testing the patience of the employees and causing lot of difficulties to the pensioners.

A senior official said that due to snags and slowdown of the system they were able to complete only 30-40 cases daily. He said efforts are on to complete the process of revival of all the 1,151 which are found genuine before May end. There are 12,444 beneficiaries availing the social security pension in which 1,151 were directed to update data. 

By G Sridhar