South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has decided to provide monthly pension of Rs 1,000 to destitutes, widows, divorced, women, third gender people and orphans till attainment of 18 years of age and for persons suffering from serious illness as defined by the health department. The list of beneficiaries will be approved by the Director of Health Administration of the Corporation.
The leader of the House in SDMC Shikha Rai expressed happiness over the move and said that the maximum number of beneficiaries will be benefited with this new scheme called financial assistant to destitute widows, divorced women, Kinnar, orphan child and persons suffering from serious illness. Rai also said that the scheme has been approved by the standing committee.
Rai further said that the scheme has been introduced to lay a helping hand to the persons in need of some financial assistance in order to mitigate their sufferings. It is proposed that the number of beneficiaries may be kept at a maximum 400 persons per municipal ward.
Apart from this the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chairman standing committee, Deputy Chairman of standing committee, leader of House and leader of the Opposition will have discretionary quota to provide help to the persons.
Shikha Rai also said that High Court of Delhi on 1st December 2016 directed to the South MCD and department of social welfare, Delhi Government to jointly conduct physical verification of the beneficiaries of the old age pension and disabled persons.
Rai added that after the transfer of beneficiaries relating to two schemes of Delhi Government for releasing of pension by the City Government, the categories of destitute, disabled category (deaf, dumb, physically handicapped having infirmity of permanent nature) 40 per cent or more, blinds, windows, insane, crippled, divorced women, kinnar, orphan child till he/she attains the age of 18 years and persons suffering from serious illness still remained uncovered of one or another scheme.
Keeping in view, the SDMC decided to grant pensions to those who have not been covered under the scheme Financial Assistant to Destitute, Windows, Divorcee Women, Kinnar, Orphan Child and persons suffering from serious illness. She added that there are large numbers of persons belonging to these categories which will benefit from the scheme of SDMC. Henceforth, they will be release pension from SDMC.