Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing his reservations over the Centre's move to introduce the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) compliant system for disbursement of pensions under the National Social Assistance System (NSAP).
Patnaik said the payment through banks would bring misery for the beneficiaries. "Any imposition of the system of bank payment will cause undue and unavoidable hardship to the vulnerable beneficiaries. I am sanguine you would appreciate the special circumstances of the State and not impose conditions on release of funds which may militate against the interest of the beneficiaries," Patnaik stated.
The CM further stated that disbursement of pension in cash serves the purpose of beneficiaries in view of fragile nature of banking network and telecommunication prevailing in the State. It is clarified in NSAP guidelines clearly stated that disbursement of pension must be done as per the choice and convenience of the beneficiaries. He said the State has conducted a study of the beneficiaries and found that pensioners are not willing to accept pension through banks and post offices.
He also stated that 4,376 gram panchayats (GPs) in Odisha have no banking facilities. Even the existing banks are unable to bear the burden of large number of pensioners due to acute staff shortage. The State has been disbursing pension in cash on 15th of every month at the GPs and urban local bodies' headquarters.
In reaction to Patnaik's letter, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that the Chief Minister by asking the Centre to provide cash instead of transaction through the DBT is meant to give benefit to his BJD people and middlemen.
Pradhan said the Union Rural Development Ministry had written to the State Government on November 15 to create facility for implementation of DBT under the NSP by March 31 next. The Prime Minister intends to end the role of the middlemen in sops provided to the people by the Government by implementing the DBT, stated Pradhan.
Besides, senior citizens and disabled persons who face a lot of difficulties to get money by making them physically present in offices under various schemes would get relief with the DBT where the cash gets directly credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries, he asserted and urged the State Government to support the linking of the NSP with the DBT.