While the ongoing Telangana stir has thrown life out of gear, pensioners seem to be the worst hit. Three days have already past in October but they have not received their monthly allowances. A quick check with the banks showed that their pension is not credited yet.
The dejected pensioners made a beeline to the Pension Payment Office (PPO) at M.J. Market on Monday to enquire about the delay. But here too they were in for a shock. There was none in the office to reply to their queries, much less sooth their ruffled souls. The PPO wore a deserted look with the employees participating in the strike. Elderly persons, some with walking sticks, were seen climbing up the two-storeyed building only to be greeted by empty chairs and tables. “After checking with my bank in Osmangunj I came here to enquire. But there is none here”, said M.A. Majid, a retired health supervisor of Osmania General Hospital.
R. Anjiah, who retired from the Assembly, was quite upset at not getting his pension. “How can they withhold pensions for no fault of ours? While the elected representatives are drawing their salaries why should pensioners be denied their due”, he asked. Most of the retired employees who are dependent on pensions alone are a worried lot. They do not know how to carry on in the absence of pension. “Why should we suffer for the strike being done by others”, wondered Jai Krishna, a teacher. The same view is expressed by Syed Sirajuddin, a pensioner of Ranga Reddy district. Not just the A.P pensioners but those from neighbouring States are also put to inconvenience. Some like M.A. Azeez of Karnataka, have settled in Hyderabad and drawing their pensions here. But they too have to go without pensions on account of the Telangana stir.
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Usually the District Treasury offices deposit pensions with the banks on the last day of the month so that pensioners can draw them on first of the month. “But this time round pension is not credited yet”, said Gaffar Qureshi, who retired from Medical and Health Department.
Throughout the day pensioners kept dropping at the PPO to enquire about their pension status. Some picked up an argument with K. Lakshmi Reddy, the lone Assistant Pension Payment Officer present, for the delay in disbursal of pensions. “There is no one to prepare the bills and even we have not received our salaries”, was all that he would say.