Jaipur, Oct. 15 -- The Rajasthan government has appealed to social security pension beneficiaries whose annual income exceeds Rs.48,000 to voluntarily surrender their pensions under the state's ongoing "Give Up" campaign, aimed at extending benefits to more deserving and needy individuals. Social justice and empowerment minister Avinash Gehlot said the state government conducts annual verification of all social security pension holders to assess eligibility. Families or individuals whose economic condition has improved over time are being encouraged to step aside and allow more eligible beneficiaries to receive support. Gehlot emphasized that the government is not discontinuing anyone's pension. "No pension is being stopped; this campaign is purely motivational. The objective is to encourage financially stable beneficiaries to voluntarily give up their pensions so that genuinely needy individuals can benefit," he said. Gehlot said the state currently has around 92 lakh (9.2 million) social security pension beneficiaries. The campaign reflects the government's commitment to inclusive social welfare while promoting voluntary cooperation among financially secure pensioners. In a related directive, Ashish Modi, director of the social justice and empowerment department, issued instructions to ensure that all pending annual pension verifications are completed by November 15. The verification process, which confirms whether pensioners are alive, must be completed without fail. A list of pending cases has been attached in Appendix-1 for reference. The order emphasizes giving special attention to panchayats and wards where the number of pending verification cases is relatively high. Officials who have not yet taken the necessary steps for verification are to be held responsible, and weekly progress reviews of the work are to be conducted at the officer's own level to ensure timely completion. The directive also advises that pensioners whose annual electricity bills are relatively high should be encouraged to voluntarily give up their pensions under the state's ongoing "Give Up" campaign. However, no pension is to be stopped before proper verification and a personal hearing by the approving authority. The government has called for immediate and strict compliance with these orders to ensure that all pending verifications are completed systematically, while promoting voluntary surrender of pensions by financially stable beneficiaries to extend benefits to more deserving and needy individuals, states Modi in the order. Sources said the Minister's clarification came after the Rajasthan government allegedly put on hold its earlier decision to temporarily suspend the social security pensions of elderly, widowed, and other beneficiaries whose annual electricity bills exceed Rs.24,000. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment clarified that no pension would be discontinued until a thorough inquiry is completed. The move follows widespread concern over an earlier order that had directed the suspension of over three lakh pensions based on electricity consumption data. However, after public criticism, the government has softened its stance-replacing suspension orders with the 'Give Up' campaign, which seeks cooperation rather than enforcement....