The Government is giving all types of benefits to the senior citizens on a priority basis. But, in Talcher Municipality the case is different.
Above 30 retired employees have complained before the Angul Collector and the Talcher Sub Collector regarding negligence of payment of their pension arrears. The arrears have been already cleared by the Housing and Urban Development Department though.
According to the victims, the Government has sanctioned total amount of Rs 3, 14, 61,000 in two phases separately for the pension holders. Already 5 months have gone, but the senior citizens are yet to get their retirement benefits due to callousness by the Talcher civic body authority.
The victims are regularly coming to the office of the executive officer, Talcher Municipality and requesting for the same, but the concerned officer is allegedly not listening to them. Most of the retired employees are suffering from diseases and not getting money for their medical treatments, while a few others are also bed ridden by not getting proper care due to monetary crisis.
Sometimes they are being abused by some employees of the Talcher Municipality, as they are coming regularly for their arrear payments. Sources said the entire amounts have been saved in three to four private banks and the interest is distributed among the officials.
Now, the locals here have questioned as to why the Government funds are being kept in private banks, not in the State Bank of India or any other nationalized banksIJ They also have demanded a probe by the district Collector into the matter and a direction to the civic body authority for clearance of the pension arrears.