Pensioners exempted from physical examination

Hyderabad: Due to lack of information on the submission of annual verification certificates by the pensioners, a large number of old-aged persons turned up at the Pension Payment Office at Manoranjan Complex at Nampally only to learn that there was no physical verification this time.

The government had notified that the pensioners should submit their annual verification certificate from November 1 to March 31. Many had turned up at the pension office on Tuesday only to see the billboard that physical verification would not be conducted this time because of covid pandemic. Nageshwar Rao, a senior citizen retired from the education department, had come all the way from Gachibowli. He said that he had no information about the online verification. "We used to come here every year. But this year, the officials are saying they will not accept. They are advising us to go to the MeeSeva for quick submission," said Nageshwar Rao. Not only Nageshwar Rao, but many other pensioners were seen climbing the second floor in the office only to be informed that there was no physical verification. They were seen approaching people at a stationery centre on the premises who were collecting money from the pensioners.

Meanwhile, the joint director of Pension Payment Office R Venkanna issued a notice stating that the State government service pensioners and other government pensioners who were receiving pensions through pension payment unit in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad were requested to submit the certificates through digital mode including T-App folio, MeeSeva, Jeevan Praman mode due to covid pandemic. They have been asked to refrain from approaching the APPO branches for submitting life certificates for this year keeping in view of pandemic prevalence, read the notice.