Lack of pension leaves destitutes in the lurch

Seventy-year-old widow Kamlesh is forced to live without electricity after the connection was cut recently due to non-payment of bill. A resident of 429, at Shastri Mohalla in Patparganj here, she hasn’t received her pension from the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) since June 2014.

“I haven’t been able to pay my bills and am forced to live without electricity,” she said.

Sadly, Kamlesh isn’t alone. The municipal corporations have allegedly not given pension to several other differently-abled persons, widows and the elderly.

“We have written to senior officials about the lapse and will be filing a public interest litigation in the matter,” said advocate Ashok Aggarwal.

The advocate and social worker Sunita Chauhan visited slums at Shashi Garden in Patparganj and East Delhi last month as part of an initiative to spread awareness on health, education and labour rights.

“After interacting with the locals, some 50 of them complained about non-receipt of pension, which they were getting from the EDMC. Several have not received it for more than a year,” noted Mr. Aggarwal.

Another widow, 65-year-old Chunia, a resident of Shashi Garden has not received her pension since March 2013.

“The destitute, whose only means of survival is the pension, have been left in the lurch by the abrupt and arbitrary discontinuation of pension. Their monthly budgets have been hit hard and many of them have been drawn to the brinks of starvation. From my sources, I have come to know that similar situation prevails across all the three MCDs, affecting thousands of destitute persons,” he added.

In his letter, the advocate has noted that it is not befitting of a State-agency, once having extended such promises to its poorest of the poor, to leave the poor high-and-dry.

“Such a conduct will only foster discontent among the destitute, who yield high expectations from the State. Such inaction on part of the State is not only arbitrary and discriminatory, but also violates the fundamental right to life of the destitute as guaranteed to them under Article 21 of the Constitution.”

The group has now asked for immediate enquiry into the matter and to ensure immediate restoration of pension.

The civic bodies have allegedly not given pension to several differently-abled persons, widows and the elderly since nearly a year