KOLKATA: From November 1 onwards, pensioners will no longer have to physically appear before the treasuries or banks to submit their life certificate to draw pension.
They will be able to submit a digital life certificate (DLC) from home using a smartphone through which they will only have to make a face authentication. The state finance department has recently issued a notification in this regard.
The West Bengal government was considering for some time to introduce the facility to submit a DLC from home by using only a smart phone through face authentication without the need to be physically present to the treasury or bank.
Presently, pensioners as well as family pensioners either submit a hard copy of the life certificate verified by the competent authority with his or her signature by physically being present or sending a close relative with an authority letter to the designated bank account or submit a DLC on the government's Jeevanpramaan portal after which they have to be physically present to the treasury or bank where the bio-metric device facility is available.
Accordingly, the state government worked out on the modalities and decided to introduce submitting DLC through smart phone face authentication. The existing two systems of physically submitting life certificates will also remain. The state government will make necessary amendments in the West Bengal Treasury Rule for introducing the system.
