With prices of almost all essential commodities on the rise, the differently-abled persons of the district feel the State Government should look into their demand of increasing disability pension under the Madhubabu Pension Yojana.
Currently, the Government provides only Rs 300 per month to every differently-abled person enrolled under the scheme.
The Madhubabu Pension scheme entitles a person with disabilities from the BPl households between the ages of 5 and 79 to Rs 300 per month if the person is not a beneficiary of any other Government or Government aided pension.
However, many feel the monetary help is nothing but dismal under the scheme. Similarly, the Central Government provides Rs 300 to the differently abled persons under the Indira Gandhi National Pension Scheme.
70 per cent disabled lilabati Parichha(33),daughter of late Makhnu Parichha of Belmunda village in Sargaj Gram Panchayat of Tarbha block, is unable to do any hard work on her own. She got the pension of Rs 300 per month under the Madhubabu Pension scheme before some years ago and 5 kg rice per month under the PDS from the Government. With no regular source of income, her mother struggles to maintain a three-member family, Parichha said.
Although people from the section have been demanding hike in the pension amount for long, there has been no response from the Government. Social activists feel both the State and the Centre should provide enough money to the differently-abled persons so that they can afford at least two square meals a day besides medical and other expenses.
Social activist Mitrabrata Mishra said lilabati Parichha should get a Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and 35 kg of rice on the Annapurna Antodaya scheme. The District Administration should immediately take some necessary action on the matter, he added.