Pensioners in 17 districts not paid since June

Thursday, 21/11/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131121/punjab.htm#8

Chandigarh : Despite tall claims by the Punjab Government regarding timely release of funds for welfare schemes, more than 15 lakh beneficiaries in 17 districts have not received pension since June.

The various categories of pensioners are old age, widow and destitute women, dependent children and differently abled.

Beneficiaries in Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa and Faridkot districts have been paid till July while those in Ferozepur have received pension till September. Official sources said no money had been given to beneficiaries in other districts since June.

The schemes handled by the Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development are old age pension, financial assistance to widows and destitute women, dependent children and disabled persons. Beneficiaries under all these categories get Rs 250 per month each.

Confirming the delay in payment, Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Director of the department, said: "An amount of Rs 76 crore was sanctioned yesterday. The beneficiaries will get their payments soon. Those left out will be paid in due course".

Out of the total 20 lakh beneficiaries, 14.46 lakh beneficiaries are of old-age pension, 2.97 lakh widows and destitute women, 1.23 lakh dependent children and 1.47 lakh disabled. The department gets Rs 647 crore per annum for disbursing pension.

Meanwhile, the department is conducting a check to identify bogus beneficiaries. The government had informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court in September that at least 71,426 fake beneficiaries of old-age pension had been identified.

At the same time, the government has recently relaxed certain conditions. Earlier, only those senior citizens having less than one acre of land and whose sons were unemployed were eligible for old-age pension. Now, senior citizens with two acres of fertile land or four acres of barren land and whose sons are working are also eligible.

Beneficiaries have been raising the issue of meagre pension since long. While MLAs have managed to get a huge hike in their salaries, information procured under the RTI revealed that the old-age pension was last raised from Rs 200 per month to Rs 250 per month in 2006.

The Scheme

14.46 lakh beneficiaries are of old-age pension

2.97 lakh widows and destitute women

1.23 lakh dependent children

1.47 lakh disabled persons

Rs 250 per month is what each of these beneficiaries receive

Rs 647 crore per annum is sanctioned for the purpose

Officialspeak

An amount of Rs 76 crore was sanctioned yesterday. The beneficiaries will get their payments soon. Those left out will be paid in due course

Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, Department of Social Security, Women & Child Development