NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has said that the pension of more than 36,000 beneficiaries in the national capital had not been released for the last few months due to lack of sufficient budget in the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme. The widows are entitled to a monthly amount of Rs 2,500 through the government’s pension scheme, they said. The women and child development department, however, obtained approval from the finance department recently and thereafter, released the pension of all the beneficiaries, they said.
“Due to lack of sufficient budget in the ‘Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme’, the pension of 36,361 beneficiaries was not released for a few months. The department has released the pension of all the beneficiaries after obtaining approval from the finance department and will continue to release it every month,” the government informed Vidhan Sabha.
During the ongoing Winter Session of the Assembly, the Speaker had said because funds were not being released by Verma, the annual programmes of the Assembly on Diwali and Chhath could not be held. Finance minister Atishi, while discussing obstacles being created by the finance department in the functioning of PWD and health departments and DJB, said the govt has a surplus budget and there is no shortage of funds.
“The budget has been increased two-and-a-half times in 8 years. There is no lack of funds and there is a surplus budget. But finance department is not ready to release the funds,” she alleged. Atishi said it is a serious matter that the department is not processing the House’s bills. She alleged that the bureaucracy of Delhi has been “weaponized” against the govt since the GNCTD (Amendment) Act was brought in by the Centre.