The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Senior citizens to be helped

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Senior citizens to be helped

Special Correspondent

Pension scheme from this month

Eligibility: annual income of less than Rs. 20,000
Beneficiaries will get a pension of Rs. 400 a month

BANGALORE: Eligible senior citizens will get a monthly pension of Rs. 400, beginning this month, under ‘Sandhya Suraksha’, a scheme to be implemented by the Government.

Senior citizens (both husband and wife), aged 65 and above, whose annual income is less than Rs. 20,000 are eligible for the scheme.

Budgetary allocation

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa told presspersons here on Tuesday that Deputy Commissioners had been instructed to ensure that pensions were distributed from this month. Seven lakh beneficiaries had been identified so far, and Rs. 250 crore had been allocated in the Budget for the scheme, he said.

The Government had launched development schemes worth Rs. 100 crore in each district in the past few months, Mr. Yediyurappa said. No scheme had been stopped because of paucity of funds.

There was no substance in the allegation made by Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that foundation stones were being laid for various schemes with an eye on the approaching elections to urban local bodies, he maintained.

The Deputy Chief Minister took exception to Congress leaders refusing to attend various foundation stone-laying programmes. Instead of appreciating the Government’s efforts, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh and other senior Congress leaders were criticising the programmes for political gains, which was not good for the State. He appealed to the Congress leaders to participate in all such programmes.

He said the Government would instruct Deputy Commissioners and tahsildars to visit villages once in 15 days to address the grievances of the people. A large of number of people from remote villages had been attending the Chief Minister’s Janata Darshan programmes in Bangalore. “This clearly shows the failure of the district administration in tackling the problems of the people locally,” Mr. Yediyurappa said.

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