Ammula Madhavi, 25, a native of Venkatapur village in Warangal district, is blessed with two children – a boy and girl. Her husband Raju, 28, committed suicide about a year ago. She applied for widow pension, but it has not been sanctioned so far. Whenever she approaches officials, she was asked to come again stating that it has not been sanctioned yet.
“I do not know how to take care of my children. Our repeated appeals failed to get pension. We do not know whom to approach as well,” says Ms. Madhavi.
Meanwhile, Raju has about one acre of a land and sold of half of it to clear debts to the tune of ₹8 lakh. The amount they got under Rythu Bandhu was also used to clear the debts.
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There are more than three lakh eligible persons under different categories who are waiting to get their due.
In nine categories – Old-age pension, widow, disabled, toddy tappers, weavers, beedi workers, single women, artisans and filaria - the government has been issuing pensions to the eligible persons. It was stated that as many as 3,15,262 persons in all the 33 districts are waiting to get pensions from the government. In this, people waiting under disability are 55,619, followed by people eligible for old-age pensions are 64,749, while widows are 1,59,452.
Every year the number of eligible persons for pensions is increasing and this is clearly visible. For instance, in a report dated February 16, 2021, the officials of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) informed that there are as many as 1,88,876 persons eligible for pensions. The number increased to 3,15,262 by February 14, 2022, which means - in one year alone the number of eligible persons for pensions increased by 1,26,386.
“The information was provided by the officials of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) under RTI Act. Every year more than one lakh pensions are becoming eligible additionally to the existing list. But the government is not releasing new pensions,” said B. Kondal Reddy, one of the activists of Aasara Pensionla Sadhana Committee, who got the information under RTI.
“Pension age limit for the aged was reduced by the government but it is not being implemented as the government has to issue directions in this regard. We can implement only when a decision was taken,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
To bring pressure on the government to sanction pensions, Aasara Pensions Sadhana Committee would be holding a day-long protest at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park on February 28.
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