Chandigarh, Feb 10 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday asserted that unlike the Congress, the BJP government does not do votebank politics.

He hit out at the opposition party over its "misleading" claims regarding the cancellation of the old-age pension of several beneficiaries.

Saini refuted the Congress' claims regarding the alleged cancellation of old-age pensions in the state, calling them baseless, misleading and politically motivated.

Saini was speaking to reporters here on Tuesday evening after digitally disbursing Rs 1,431 crore to over 56.34 lakh beneficiaries under 18 public welfare schemes.

Saini asserted that the double-engine government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership is committed to giving the benefits of old age pension to all the eligible beneficiaries. At the same time, it is being ensured that no ineligible person draws a pension, he said.

"Our government is working with full transparency and ensuring that the benefits of our schemes reach the common people and eligible beneficiaries," he said.

During the past few days, Saini said, the opposition has been trying to mislead the people and they have been claiming that the old-age pension of two lakh people has been discontinued.

Saini alleged that the Congress has opened a shop of lies.

"They wake up every morning and start spreading misinformation," the chief minister said, adding that the Haryana government is working continuously and without pause for public welfare.

He said unlike the Congress, the BJP never does votebank politics. "We are concerned with benefits reaching the beneficiaries, whereas they always did votebank politics and used the elderly as a votebank," he said, hitting out at the Congress.

Referring to the claim made by the Congress that the pensions of two lakh people had been cut, the chief minister said it was necessary to place facts before the people of Haryana.

He said that according to the rules, pension benefits are automatically discontinued after the death of a beneficiary.

Out of the two lakh cases cited by the opposition, more than 1.03 lakh cases pertain to beneficiaries who had already passed away.

He said that due to a technical issue on the Registrar General of India portal, data regarding deaths in Haryana was not available from October 2024. Once the data was received in November 2025, pensions in these cases had to be discontinued in one consolidated exercise, he said.

He further said that in nearly 37,000 cases, beneficiaries were found to be below 60 years of age. These individuals had manipulated their age in Aadhaar records to fraudulently obtain pension benefits. Their pensions have been discontinued and action has been initiated against those involved in tampering with government databases, he said.

However, he clarified that if any of these beneficiaries submit valid proof showing they are above 60 years of age, their pensions will be immediately restored.

The chief minister further shared that in 39,000 cases, income-based eligibility had not been verified by the local and sector-level committees.

He emphasised that these pensions too have not been cancelled but only temporarily discontinued and assured that once income certificates are submitted, verification will be completed promptly and pensions will be restored if eligibility is confirmed.

Saini said that he came to know that some opposition leaders are claiming that there was never any annual income slab for old age pension when they were in power and said the criteria was introduced when the Congress was in power.

He said between 1992 and 2012, the annual income limit for old age pension by both the Congress and the INLD governments was kept at Rs 10,000 with the aim to restrict a larger number of beneficiaries from becoming eligible.

Also, he said, there was a meagre increase in old age pension during the INLD and the Congress' time.

"Be it the Congress or the INLD governments, their thinking was that fewer beneficiaries should get the benefit of old age pension. That is why the income limit was maintained at Rs 10,000 from 1991 to 2012. The then Congress government increased the annual income limit to Rs 2 lakh in 2012 with 12.89 lakh beneficiaries coming under its ambit," he said.

He said with an eye on the Haryana polls in 2014, the then Congress government announced an increase in old-age pension from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per month.

Saini said that on April 5, 2023, the BJP government headed by Manohar Lal Khattar increased the annual income limit for old-age pension to Rs 3 lakh.

When this announcement was made, 17.98 lakh beneficiaries were covered. Now, this figure of old age pension beneficiaries is 20,31,367, he said.

"During the INLD government's time, old-age pension increased by just Rs 200 and by Rs 700 during the Bhupinder Hooda government's time. During the BJP government's time, the old-age pension being given at present is Rs 3,200 per month, an increase of Rs 2,200 during our time," Saini said. PTI SUN KSS KSS