Mention Aadhaar number on pensioners' identity cards: Government tells departments

NEW DELHI: All pensioners would get a laminated identity card with their Aadhaar numbers mentioned on it, the Centre has said.

The move comes after it was observed that various departments are either not issuing pensioners' identity card to the retired employees or they are not in a prescribed format.

The matter was reviewed by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. "It has been decided that apart from the details already prescribed, the pensioner's identity card should include the Aadhaar number of the pensioner (if available)," the Ministry said in a directive to all ministries and departments under it.

Aadhaar is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India.

A revised format has also been issued for the pensioners identity card. "The pensioner's identity card should be printed (and not hand written) on good quality paper. The identity card would be got laminated by the department or office (from where the employee has retired) before handing it over to pensioner," it said.

The pensioners' identity card is issued by the department in which the employee last worked.

There are about 50 lakh central government pensioners.

The Ministry had earlier clarified that identity cards need not to have national emblem on them.

"The identity card only establishes the identity of the person and it does not confer any right on the pensioner to enter into a security zone. Therefore, it would not be necessary to have the national emblem on their identity cards," it had said.