Though Chief Minister Harish Rawat is busy flaunting the implementation of the pension scheme as its major achievement ahead of the election, the pensioners of categories like those for the elderly, widow and physically handicapped have complained that they have not been receiving pension for the past three months. However, the social welfare department officials claim that they have already cleared their pensions. Noteworthy, the pensioners receive pension on quarterly basis.
Some of such beneficiaries, including the elderly and the widows going without pension for months were found inquiring into the status of the pension at the social welfare department on Monday.
When approached, Draupadi, an elderly woman, said that she had not received her pension for the last three months. “The last installment I received was in July. I have come here to inquire why the payment of my due is being delayed,” she said.
Pramila, a widow, recounted the same story with a gloomy face. “I wonder why I have not been receiving my due when the CM is claiming that all the beneficiaries are receiving their dues on time. I went to my bank too where the officials said that the amount was yet to be deposited in my account,” she said.
However, the social welfare department officials said that since they had submitted a report mentioning names of beneficiaries of the pension scheme the department has been releasing pensions-Rs1000 per beneficiary- directly in their accounts on quarterly basis. “Dues have been cleared till October,” one of the officials claimed.Dehradun Social welfare officer Anurag Shankhdhar denied that the note ban drive had in any way impacted the dispensing of the pension. “We have already transferred pension amount for the present quarterly in the bank accounts of beneficiaries in October,” he said, adding that while 58, 773 persons are being given old age pension 19,907 and 12, 222 persons are receiving widow and handicapped pensions.