The monthly pension of Rs. 200 given to the elderly is “an insult to the dignity of an individual”, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has said, requesting the Prime Minister to immediately review the scheme.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Minister has recommended streamlining the disbursal system of the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), under which Rs. 200 per month is given to three crore people over the age of 60.
“I have always held the view that the amount of pension that we are giving is an insult to the dignity of the individual,” Mr. Ramesh states in his letter dated May 16.
The Minister raised the issue after a meeting with the convenors of the Pension Parishad Baba Adhav and Aruna Roy a few days back.
The key demands of the Parishad include removal of poverty-line criteria while implementing the pension scheme, increasing the amount of pension from Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 and reducing the age eligibility from 60 years to 55 for men and 50 for women.
“I agree with the Pension Parishad that the BPL and APL criteria should be done away with. We are proposing to do away with the BPL and APL criteria in the sanitation programme and in the National Rural Livelihood Mission [NRLM] as well,” Mr. Ramesh said.
Keywords: Old age pension, IGNOAPS, Jairam Ramesh, BPL
To care for the elderly of which I am one and to take care of the other poor may be construed as an act of human decency. However is there a protective mechanism to prevent double dipping by the recipients of the public funds ? What if the elderly were to bequeath their properties to the children and then try to live on tax money ? Years ago in one of the States in USA some elderly person was a recipient of the public assistance. Once that person died the person's children who did not contribute to the medical treatment of the person tried to acquire and enjoy the deceased person's house. The State government wanted to attach the house and recover the cost of having provided services to the elderly person. Lot of Indians sponsored by their children settle in USA but start collecting welfare ( Supplemental Social Security ) without having worked even for a day in USA. The family " attachment" which sponsored the immgration petition for the parents go only thus far and no further.
Making strong statements and eloquent speeches is useless unless they implement it. All of a sudden, why is the minister unhappy today? wasn't he aware of this while the scheme was being hatched. Typical politicians behavior, whenever citizens raise an issue, just act innocent, make strong statements, eloquent speeches and false promises and escape. If the stupid heads in the government are listening, what the country requires is an universal social security system, which takes care of 1) medical insurance, 2)pension, 3)unemployment and 4)housing and energy.
This scheme and many others, were purely hatched for the elections.
I totally agree with Hon. R D Minister Mr. Jayaram Ramesh. I humble suggestion is that the Old Age pension is to be increased and given only those who are really derserve it.
Now you realised this. where were you living these days. how
can you expect a senior person to live with Rs.200 or 300 or 400 or
500 etc. whole month. A normal doctor checkup with medicines will take
away his Rs.200 in a half an hour, then what about rest of the month.
I doubt you people are educated. Even a 5 year old child will laugh on this statement made by you. Your government can increase the income of government servants by 40% but to increase a Rs.100 pm you are publicising you statement first, then discussions will go and you will give a notification and then giving it effect. This whole process itself is a insult to a common citizen. The minimum pension for a senior person should be Rs.3500 to Rs.4500 in rural areas and Rs. 5000 to Rs.6000 in semi-urban areas.
I want to ask that Rs 200 pension is insult and Rs 300 is not....?
Many elderly,especially above 70 years of age are not in a position to
draw the cash solarium from the government and use it judiciously,at
that age.The authorities should consider,classifying the elderly as who can
draw and manage the funds and those who cannot and provide cash support accordingly,either directly or through institutions taking care of them such as asylums,old age homes, etc.
For all, the solatium, in whatever name it is called should be revised to Rs.1,500,with revision every 3 years along with free medical benefit under various community insurance schemes.
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