Udupi: Irresponsible act by Officers deprive pension to aged
By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network
Udupi, 23 January 2012: This is an inhuman incident of killing the living people in the records thus refusing their rightful pension. This is the reflection of the irresponsible act of the Grama Panchayath Officers. This incident has taken place in Pernakila Grama of Kodibettu Grama Panchayath near Moodubelle. The Village Accountant has submitted a report to the Tashildar and as per the report the three elderly living people are dead. Hence the recommendation was made to stop their monthly pension. Taking the irresponsible report by the officer the Tashildar has stopped the pension since the last 6 months. The elderly people who were completely depending on this government pension have been put into hunger.
Akkamma Bai (70) is a widow and do not have children or property. When she was younger she worked and filled her stomach. Now she has taken shelter with somebody else known to her. Somebody helped her to get old age pension and with that somehow she was making a living. But since last July she is not getting the pension. Through others help she managed to write to Tashildar twice but there is no use and now she is bed ridden.
Similarly Sarojini (68) is a widow and she was getting Sandhya Suraksha Yojane monthly pension. Vasu Shetty (70) who has lost his sight and was getting handicap pension. Both of them are not receiving their monthly pension since 6 months now. When the background of this incident was enquired the truth came out from the Tashildar’s office is that the report from the Village Accountant. As per this report these three persons are dead and the recommendation has been made by the Village Accountant to stop their pension. Also an 15 year old handicapped girl from a labourer family is been stopped her pension with the false report that she has been migrated.
When enquiry was made with the Village Accountant, he pointed at his assistant staff the Anganavadi workers (even though there is order from the Supreme Court that these Anganavadi workers should not be used for any other survey than the elction survey, they have been used for this survey illigally). These Anganavadi workers did not go to house to house to make the survey, but have just done the survey sitting at home.
This is not just the story of Kodibettu Grama Panchayath, there are similar 2 – 3 incidents in Pandeshwara, Kemmannu…… and so on. These Officers say that they do not get paid enough and do not get allowance and facilities, but this act is a crime and in order for people to have trust on the law, Panchayath Raj system and on the government, immediate action on such Officers must be taken.
True Journalism!!! Hats off to you Snehalatha, Udupi. Keep up the Good/Selfless work... All the Best... God Bless you...