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| No enhancement in pension for old, disabled, widows in four years | | | Akshay Azad
JAMMU, July 31: The Omar Abdullah led coalition Government which had doubled the salaries and perks of legislators in one go, is least bothered about old, widows and disabled persons, as even after the lapse of nearly four years since Union Government had enhanced their pensions, State Government has done nothing to pass on the benefit to these sections exposing its insensitivity towards them.
The State Government has also failed to finalize feasibility report, after assessing financial implications in enhancing the financial assistance.
Sources informed Early Times that in year 2010, Union Government had enhanced the old age, widow and disabled pensions.
After remaining unmoved for almost three years, the State Government during last Assembly session had assured to constitute a committee of Social Welfare Department. It was assured by Government that the said departmental committee would explore the feasibility for enhancing financial assistance to old age, widows and disabled persons.
"But after the lapse of more than six months, the feasibility report is still in oblivion", sources said, adding that the Union Government had enhanced the widow pension to Rs. 400 per month in year 2010, but in Jammu and Kashmir, same have been getting meager Rs. 200 per month.
Director Social Welfare Department, MS Choudhary said that the department has so far not enhanced the financial assistance given to widows, who were still getting Rs. 200 per month.
"50 percent of the pension amount given to widows, old age and others is given by Union Government and remaining by State Government but so far there is no headway in this direction", he said.
When asked about the feasibility report submitted by department, he said that so far no feasibility report has been submitted.
Manik Sharma of RS Pura, said that numerous applications of widows, seeking pension, have been pending with various District and Tehsil Social Welfare officers since years. "It is probably due to shortage of funds, the applications have been gathering dust in various tehsil and district offices", Singh said, while referring to his discussion with officers at Social Welfare Office RS Pura, adding that even the applications submitted by aspirants in 2009-10, were pending in RS Pura Social Welfare Office.
Pertinently, during last Assembly session, the State Government had given assurance after CPI-M legislator MY Targami had decided to press the private member resolution seeking increase in the financial assistance to the widows, old-aged people and other persons.
While the State Government has doubled the salaries of legislators in last four years, last time the pension of widows, old age pension and other categories falling under BPL was enhanced by the Centre in the year 2010. |
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