Section 25 in Andhra Pradesh Municipalities (Pension-cum-Gratuity Fund) Rules, 1969
25.
(1)On the first appearance of a pensioner and once in the course of every year thereafter, the Secretary shall take an impression of the thumb and all the fingers of the pensioners left hand on the pension bill.(2)He shall then identify the pensioner with reference to the particulars given in the disburser's half of the pension payment order. If he cannot identify the pensioner by other means with absolute certainty, he shall identify him by a comparison of the thumb and finger impressions taken on the bill with those pasted on the pension payment order.Exception. - This instruction does not apply to the pensioner who is a holder of a Government title nor to one whose pension exceeds Rs. 50 (Rupees Fifty), a month nor to one whom the Government have specially exempted from this requirement, not to literate pensioners who can sign their pension bills, provided that in cases of doubt where the pensioner cannot be identified by other means, it shall still be open to the Secretary to take thumb and finger impressions on the pension bill.(3)A woman who is exempt from personal appearance under instruction 13 because she is not accustomed to appear in public should affix an impression of her left thumb on each bill in the presence of the person who signs the life certificate and the latter should attest it. An literate pensioner should similarly affix an impression of his left thumb on each bill in the presence of the person who signs the life certificate, or when he attends at the paying office in person to receive payment, before the Secretary and the person who assigns the life certificate or the Secretary, as the case may be should attest it. In the case of an illiterate pensioner or a woman who is not accustomed to appear in public, acquittance by a seal mark attested by some known and respectable person may be accepted in lieu of thumb impression.(4)When a pension payment order is renewed, the original thumb and finger impression shall be cut off from the old order and attached to the new order.
