Senior Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Jasbir Singh Bunty demanded from Chandigarh Administrator to release pension of senior citizens, disabled and widows soon.
Chandigarh: Around 25 thousand senior citizens, disabled and widows of the city are waiting for their monthly pension for the last several months. Which has not been received till date. Regarding this, Senior Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Jasbir Singh Bunty has written a letter to Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, in which an appeal has been made to increase the pension and release the pension soon. Jasbir Singh Bunty says that Chandigarh Administration issues monthly pension to around 25 thousand senior citizens, disabled and widows of the city. In Chandigarh, old age, disabled and widow pension is only Rs 1000.
Chandigarh: Around 25 thousand senior citizens, disabled and widows of the city are waiting for their monthly pension for the last several months. Which has not been received till date. Regarding this, Senior Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Jasbir Singh Bunty has written a letter to Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, in which an appeal has been made to increase the pension and release the pension soon. Jasbir Singh Bunty says that Chandigarh Administration issues monthly pension to around 25 thousand senior citizens, disabled and widows of the city. In Chandigarh, old age, disabled and widow pension is only Rs 1000.
Whereas in the neighboring state Haryana (of which Chandigarh is the capital) the pension is three times more than this. There has not been an increase of even a rupee in the pension amount for nine years. Inflation has increased many times in these years, but the pension has not been increased. People have to wait for months even for a mere pension of Rs. 1000. Pension has not been received since January and people are tired of making rounds of the Social Welfare Department and the Contact Centre.
The elderly, widows and the disabled are very upset due to non-receipt of pension since January. They first go to the bank, and get the reply that the money has not come. When many reach the Contact Centre to find out the reason, they are sent from there to the Social Welfare Department to find out. No one in the department also gives a proper answer, this process has been going on for the last several months.
Jasbir Bunty said that will the weakest section of the society also have to wait for the budget? The budget for the pension of the elderly running out is a serious matter. When schemes and projects worth lakhs and crores can run without interruption, then how does the budget for the pension of Rs. 1000 of the elderly run out.
Questions also arise that the budget of these schemes is fixed every year, the number of beneficiaries also remains almost constant. Then how did it happen that there was no fund left to pay pension for four months. Was there negligence in budget planning, or were the funds diverted somewhere? The administration which ignores its elderly, widows and disabled, no matter how many plans it makes, cannot imagine a sensitive society.
According to Bunty, thousands of elderly and disabled beneficiaries are facing financial and mental crisis due to not getting pension for many months. He has demanded to release the pension immediately, ensure that there is no delay in future and implement a transparent system.
Pension status in the city:-
Pension category Number Amount (Rs)
Disabled 4650 1000 (0-69 percent) and 2000 (more than 70 percent)
Widow 8592 1000 rupees
Old age 12,192 1000 rupees
