Benefits denied due to non-matching of thumb print: BJP MP

New Delhi: A BJP member in the Lok Sabha on Friday said millions of people were not getting pension as their thumb impressions no longer matched the impression stored in the Aadhaar data due to old age. Sushil Kumar Singh raised the issue in the Zero Hour and asked the Centre to consider the matter seriously and resolve the problem.

The issue has adversely affected the elderly and the specially-abled people, he said. They have also been denied other benefits, Singh said, citing the example of his elderly mother who was not given a mobile SIM card because of her fading thumb impression and had to take a mobile connection in a relative’s name.

In many cases, iris (part of the eye) also develops deformities, he said. Singh, who represents Aurangabad in Bihar, also demanded a criminal case against telecom operators who received subsidy benefits meant for their subscribers.