Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Disabled 10-year-old yet to receive pension

Long-suffering: Bhagyamma at the Jana Spandana meeting in Gulbarga on Saturday.

GULBARGA: Forty-year-old Shantabai has been running from pillar to post in order to receive the pension sanctioned to her 10-year-old disabled daughter, Bhagyamma. “The pension of Rs. 400 was sanctioned 11 months ago by the tahsildar’s office but I am yet to receive a single paisa,” said Shantabai. Hers was one of the many complaints lodged at the monthly Jana Spandana meeting held here on Saturday.

Shantabai, who was deserted by her husband, is a daily wage worker. Every time she goes to the tahsildar’s office or the Treasury Department she has to forgo a day’s salary.

Deputy Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat P.C. Jaffer said, “It is sad that this happens in government offices. I feel bad that this unfortunate woman has been made to run around for getting what is rightfully hers.”

Mr. Jaffer assured Shantabai that the pension would be cleared within two days and the arrears due to her daughter would be paid immediately.

He directed the tahsildar and the Treasury Department officials to be sensitive to the problems faced by pensioners who were from economically weaker sections.

Mr. Jaffer said, “It is the duty of every government servant to ensure that programmes meant to benefit the weaker sections of society reach them without delay.”

More than 60 applications were processed during the programme. There were also several complaints regarding the delay in getting pensions and also about payment being less than what was sanctioned.

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