The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) city unit staged a dharna in front of the Sub-Collector's office here demanding distribution of old age, widow and PH pensions immediately.
The pensioners from Ajithsingh Nagar, Bhavanipuram and others areas, registering their protest, said that the State government had least concern for pensioners. The pensions had not been distributed for last two months. Though few lucky people received the pensions last month, many were yet to receive. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) was requested to distribute the pensions in time every month, they said.
Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao said that there were 28,000 old age, widow and PH people receiving pensions. The corporation was supposed to distribute the pensions in the first week of every month. The VMC, however, could not distribute the pensions so far. The pensioners were making rounds to VMC offices for a pension of Rs. 200. The government was requested to hike the pension to Rs. 700 for old aged and widow, and Rs. 1500 for PH, he added.
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CPI(M) leaders Donepudi Kasinath, B. Satyababu, K. Sridevi, U V Ramaraju, D. Vishnuvardhan, Madala Venakteswara Rao, U. Gurumurthy, P. Sambi Redy, and B. Nageswara Rao were present.