CHENNAI, July 22, 2015
- STAFF REPORTER
A public hearing of the Pension Parishad in the city on Tuesday brought to focus ill-treatment and disappointment meted out to beneficiaries by the government authorities.
The hearing saw a large number of participants comprising disabled persons, transgenders, senior citizens and social welfare organisations, making representations to the committee about the denial and termination of pension.
The Supreme Court-appointed Commissioner on the Right to Food Harsh Mander said he was disappointed to see several complaints being registered about denial of pension in a State considered to be an example in execution of social welfare measures.
Ramamoorthy, a daily wage labourer from Saligramam, complained that though there was disability pension for construction labourers, he had not been provided with it.
R. Vedi, a disabled person from Nookampadi of Thiruvannamalai district, pointed out that despite receiving pension order copies he had not received disability pension. When he approached the Special Tahsildar, Social Security Scheme, a bribe was demanded.
T.M.L. Deepak, member, December 3 Movement (D3M), describing that beneficiaries were being denied pension due to lack of Aadhaar card, cited the Supreme Court order of Aadhaar card not being compulsory to avail government benefits.
V. Daniel Vinod Kumar, State Program Manager, Center for Advocacy and Research, highlighted the removal of more than four lakh beneficiaries claiming pension by the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission stating that these pensioners had a dependent.
The Pension Parishad also demanded that the pension amount be increased to Rs. 3,000 and provision of pension for all categories of unorganised workers.
Qudsia Gandhi, retired IAS officer and social activist Aruna Roy participated in the public hearing.