Demanding release of pension for the beneficiaries, scores of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members staged a demonstration at the social welfare department office in Dehradun on Monday and submitted a memorandum to the department officials.
The protesters further alleged that the state administration is acting in a blatantly partisan manner to select the beneficiaries. “It is cruel to discriminate among the physically crippled, widows and the elderly on the basis of sectarian party interests. And this is what is happening,” BJYM member Jitendra Rawat ‘Moni’ said. He further said the pensioners remaining deprived out their dues are giving a lie to the Chief Minister’s claim. “CM says that the pension scheme is the magic wand by which he is ending the miseries of so many hapless people. Yet the amounts are eluding them for months. This is a pity,” he said.
Another BJYM member Sohan Bisht said that the social welfare department is being asked by the ruling party leaders to conduct welfare camps at places selectively to help the Congress activists derive the benefit of the scheme. “Despite the Centre having released funds for giving loan to those under special category, eager to do business and the applicants having submitted applications around six months ago, the department is still sitting over the matter,” he said while warning that they would go for full-blown stir in the coming days in case nothing happens.