The Delhi government has directed district social welfare officers to clear all pending old-age pension applications within seven working days, after a departmental review found that more than half of the applications had not been sanctioned or disposed of within the prescribed 45-day timeline, officials said on Saturday.
In a circular issued on September 29, the Social Welfare Department said that pendency persisted despite earlier directions and asked all district social welfare officers (DSWOs) to ensure time-bound disposal, particularly for applications approaching or exceeding the stipulated service-level agreement (SLA) period.
The department’s September 14 circular, citing a status report dated September 8, had flagged delays in processing applications for old-age assistance, which is intended to provide timely financial support to elderly and vulnerable people.
The seven-working-day deadline is a special measure to clear existing pendency and does not change the prescribed 45-day timeline for fresh applications under the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Act, 2011, as read in the circular.
The department has also deployed additional verifiers in districts to expedite the verification process. District officers have been instructed to ensure the effective utilisation and monitor pending applications on a daily basis.
The September 14 circular stated that no application should remain pending without valid and recorded reasons. It also warned that delays beyond the prescribed timeline would be reviewed, and responsibility would be fixed on the officials concerned, with administrative or disciplinary action initiated under applicable rules.
Separately, the department, through an order dated September 16, assigned six welfare officers additional duties as members of a quick-response team to verify old-age pension applications on the e-District portal in the North and North West-I districts.
Each team member was directed to verify at least 50 applications daily, in addition to their regular duties. The department said progress would be monitored by its Financial Assistance Section and senior authorities.
According to Delhi government data, more than 435,000 senior citizens are currently enrolled under the scheme. Beneficiaries aged between 60 and 69 years receive a monthly pension of ₹2,000, while those aged 70 and above are entitled to ₹2,500 per month.
