People in Karnataka can soon apply for social security pensions online.

Terming the suggestion of Congress MLA N L Narendra Babu in this regard as "appropriate", Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the government would certainly take this step.

Babu sought to highlight the plight of a woman who had lost her husband 15 years ago and was running from pillar to post for getting social security pensions.

According to government officials, during 2011-12, the long overdue of physical verification of social security pensioners was undertaken and over eight lakh cases of duplicate, non-existent and ineligible pensioners have been found and suspended from the disbursement.

The Chief Minister said the eligible had the opportunity to get their application verified again by a higher official in case it had been suspended.

Gowda said the government intends to fix a time-line for disposal of applications for such pensions.

In the budget presented in the legislative Assembly last week, Gowda had said social security pensions for eligible persons in 65 to 80 years age group are proposed to be hiked from Rs 400 per month to Rs 500 from April 1 this year.

"This increase will benefit almost 30 lakh beneficiaries.

Total outlay of Rs 2,310 crore has been made for this purpose," Gowda had said.