Differently abled, elderly await dues

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 11

It has been nearly four-and-a-half years of the Congress government in the state, but it is yet to disburse the pension of seven months from May to November 2017, among the elderly, widows, destitute children and the differently abled.

The state had ordered a reverification of the beneficiaries in 2017 and stopped the pension for these seven months.

Later, the pension amount was increased from Rs 500 to 750 per month with effect from July 2017. Further, in February 2018, the enhanced pension amount was released for December 2017 without clearing the pending bills of the past seven months from May to November 2017.

If the pending pension amount is released now, each beneficiary will get Rs 4,750. “The beneficiaries are yet to get Rs 1,000 for May and June (Rs 500 per month) and Rs 3,750 for July, August, September, October and November 2017 (Rs 750 per month). The pension of these months is still pending due to poor financial condition of the state government,” said sources.

Charanjit Singh Maan, joint director, Department of Social Security and Women & Child Development, said, “We submit the bills of these months every year to the Finance Department for clearance, but they are still pending. Once the bills are cleared, the pension will be disbursed immediately.”

Some beneficiaries said the state government had increased the pension amount to Rs 1,500 from July this year, but it should disburse the pending amount. “Every time we ask about the status of the pending pension, the officials fail to give us a satisfactory reply,” they said.