TN: Govt. Accused of Trimming Social Welfare Pension Beneficiaries, CPI(M) Protests

Thousands of people, including widows, destitute and unmarried women, in the Kanyakumari district are awaiting their welfare pensions for months.

Several people say their pensions have been discontinued. At the same time, another section accuses the administration of non-disbursal of pensions despite approval orders being issued months back.

The state government has been accused of restricting the pension to these people; various reasons have been cited for imposing these restrictions, including possessing two LPG cylinders and having PDS cards.

The government, citing these conditions, is attempting to reduce the number of beneficiaries, to which strong opposition has been raised. The welfare pension of Rs 1000 is a lifeline to as many as 34 lakh beneficiaries as of March 2022.

The affected people in Kanyakumari rallied under the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). They held sit-in protests at the taluk offices in the district seeking immediate release of withdrawn pensions and disbursal of pensions to all eligible people.

‘LONG WAIT FOR PENSION’

Raveendran, a 67-year-old from the tribal village of Pathukani, has not received a pension for the past nine months.

“I was a daily wage labourer. The pension is the only source of income now. Though insufficient to purchase the medicines, it remains a huge relief,” he told NewsClick.

Raveendran was one among the hundreds of protestors who gathered at the Vilavancode Taluk office on March 3 demanding the restoration of OAP and other social welfare pensions.

Another resident of the same village, Sarasamma, 65, has not received his pension for 10 months.

The government and the concerned officials have referred to the amendments made to the eligibility conditions for receiving the pensions recently as the reason for the discontinuation of several beneficiaries.

People protesting at the Vilavancode taluk office

“Possessing two LPG cylinders, a PDS card with sugar, pledging jewels in cooperative banks and registering settlement deeds in registrar offices make one ineligible for the pensions now,” said R Leema Rose, former CPI(M) MLA who led the protest.

The government has claimed to eliminate the ineligible beneficiaries by imposing the conditions, but most people suffer for no fault of their own.

In 2006, the government of Tamil Nadu, with M Karunanidhi as the chief minister, implemented the free gas connection scheme with one cylinder.

In 2016, the Union government added another cylinder, thus making them ineligible for the social security pension.

“The Non-Priority Household (NPHH) cardholders also receive sugar through the ration shops. Pledging jewels during emergencies and settlement deeds to heirs are common. Such conditions should be removed for social security measures,” said M Annadurai, a district secretariat member of CPI(M).

Older people, widows and the destitute cannot earn an income anymore. Several opposition parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), had demanded the government not reduce the beneficiaries of the social security pensions.

“Years of physical work and medical conditions prevent them from taking any jobs. Many of these people receive little or no support from their families. The government must ensure the relaxation of conditions and disburse the pension,” Annadurai added.

The protest was held in four of the six taluk offices, namely Thovalai, Kalkulam, Thiruvattar and Vilavancode, on similar demands by the CPI(M).

‘PENSION PENDING DESPITE ORDERS ISSUED’

Another section of protesters, despite receiving orders, is yet to receive pensions for the past several months.

“In Vilavancode taluk alone, 1,200 beneficiaries have received the orders, but the authorities are yet to disburse the pensions. No specific reasons are given by those concerned,” Rose said.

CPI(M) leading the protest at Kalkulam taluk office on March 3.

The government has removed around 1.74 lakh dead beneficiaries from the list, but the new beneficiaries have yet to be provided relief.

The revenue authorities held talks with the protestors and assured them of discussing the pensions from April after verification of details through field visits.

“Any further delay in the name of verification cannot be accepted. If that happens, the CPI(M) will again mobilise the affected people for intensified protests,” Rose said.