Sanjha Morcha

Capt orders immediate release of pending old-age pensions Instructs removal of CM’s picture from free bicycles being distributed to girls

Capt orders immediate release of pending old-age pensions
The government is burdened by a Rs 110-crore liability per month on account of pension arrears.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered immediate release of pending old-age pensions, with strict instructions to regularise payment to the beneficiaries.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The Chief Minister issued the directives during a meeting to review various schemes of the Department of Social Security and Women & Child Development here on Tuesday.Expressing concern over the non-payment of old-age pension in many places since April 2017, Captain Amarinder expressed the hope that the process of payment would be regularised by March, with directions to make December payment by January 31. Pointing out that the government was burdened by a Rs 110-crore liability per month on account of pension arrears, the Chief Minister directed the department to start releasing the arrears in a staggered manner.The Chief Minister also directed the department to sort out the cases of absentee beneficiaries at the earliest, so that all eligible persons are included in the list, which now stands at 16,24,269, against the earlier 19,87,196. The meeting was informed that 93,521 cases (4.71%) had been found to be ineligible, while another 1,96,478 were absentee cases.The ineligible cases related to those who did not fulfil the eligibility criteria, an official spokesperson said after the meeting.The meeting also discussed a proposal to implement the electronic benefit transfer scheme to ensure timely and smooth direct payment of pension to the beneficiaries, he added.In another decision, Captain Amarinder ordered to get latest specifications, including colour, for the free bicycles being distributed to girls, with no photograph of the Chief Minister, in contrast to the existing practice of having the CM’s picture on these specially coloured blue and saffron bicycles.The issue of vacant Group A, B, C and D posts for the disabled in all government departments was also discussed, and the Chief Minister was apprised that 287 of the 899 vacancies had so far been filled by the Department. Captain Amarinder has ordered the remaining vacancies to be filled by April 30.Social Security Minister Razia Sultana and Deputy Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha Ajaib Singh Bhatti were among those who attended the meeting.