The Delhi government on Monday ordered the restoration of pension to Urdu poet Asrar Jamayee who had been “incorrectly declared dead” by the city’s Social Welfare Department in 2013, PTI reported. Rajendra Pal Gautam, Delhi’s social welfare minister, visited Jamayee’s residence earlier on Monday, on orders of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Gautam has asked Jamayee’s caretaker to submit necessary documents to restore his pension, PTI quoted an unidentified official as saying. He also directed officials of his ministry to determine what led to Jamayeee’s name to be removed from the records.

Speaking to Scroll.in, Gautam said the 80-year-old poet’s name was removed from the records during a drive against “unlawful beneficiaries” of the old age pension scheme for the poor. “He [Jamayee] did not turn up to produce necessary documents annually and when teams were sent to his residence, he was not found there,” Gautam said. “However, this should not have happened. The department has been asked to get his bank pass book updated and help him link his bank account with Aadhaar card. His pension will be restored from this month.”

Reports had said that after being incorrectly declared dead by the state government, Jamayee, who lives alone, had been deprived of his monthly pension of Rs 1,500. His efforts to seek help in the matter from both the previous Congress government in Delhi as well as Arvind Kejriwal’s administration were unfruitful.

“I told them, ‘I am standing in front of you, what could be greater proof [that I am alive]?’” the poet had told Sabrang India. “The official replied that he knew that I was alive, but he could not help me because the records insisted I was dead.”