VIJAYAWADA : TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday urged the people not to fall prey to the ‘political conspiracy’ of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on disbursal of pensions to the beneficiaries at their doorstep.
In an open letter to the people of the State, Naidu said, “It’s ridiculous on the part of government to say that it cannot disburse pensions at the doorstep of the people on the grounds that it cannot identify the beneficiaries in villages.”
Naidu also shot off a letter to the Election Commission of India to issue instructions to the chief secretary to utilise the available staff of sachivalayams and other departments for the doorstep distribution of pensions.
In his letter to the people, Naidu asked Jagan why he did not issue orders for distribution of pensions utilising 1.35 lakh secretariat staff on April 1.
“If SERP CEO Muralidhar Reddy issued a statement on March 28 stating that pensions would be distributed at secretariats instead of delivering at the doorstep of the beneficiaries without the permission of the Chief Minister, what action have you taken against him? Why did you not pass orders to the chief secretary that pensions should be disbursed at the doorstep of the beneficiaries? Is it fair to create problems to the elderly persons by delaying pensions and making them visit secretariats?” Naidu asked.
He said in 2022 fiscal, funds had been withdrawn before April 1 and pensions had been disbursed on the first of the month. “This time, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had paid Rs 13,000 crore to contractors, who are close to them, between March 16 and March 30 and also utilised the Rs 2,000 crore funds meant for pensions,” Naidu alleged.
The former chief minister said it’s possible to distribute pensions to the beneficiaries in just one day utilising the services of 1.35 lakh secretariat staff apart from revenue, SERP, MEPMA and Panchayat Raj department employees.
Naidu seeks CEC’s intervention in pension disbursal
“It is unfortunate that a circular has been issued for disbursing pensions at the doorsteps of elderly people, infirm and physically handicapped while others have to visit secretariats,” Naidu said.
In his letter to the ECI, Naidu said after volunteer system was introduced in Andhra Pradesh, it has been the practice to deliver pensions at the doorstep of the pensioners and the pensioners are accustomed to this practice.
“However, the CEO, SERP has issued instructions to the field functionaries to call the pensioners to village/ward sachivalayams to collect the pensions. This decision of the CEO, SERP smacks of conspiracy to convey the message to the public in general and the pensioners in particular that TDP is responsible for ECI bar on disbursal of pensions by volunteers and consequent delay in the process. The delay is beingblamed on the TDP,” he said.
As the pensioners have to walk for 4-5 kms in some cases, they have to face harsh weather conditions with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees in the State, Naidu said and added that it is not desirable to compel the old age/widow/disabled/other pensioners to go to sachivalayams to collect their pensions and requested the ECI to issue orders to the chief secretary to disburse pensions at the doorstep of beneficiaries with the available staff of sachivalayams and other departments.
Earlier in the day, Naidu spoke to chief secretary KS Jawahar Reddy over phone urging him to take immediate steps to distribute pensions. He asserted that the ECI did not impose any restrictions on pension distribution and stressed the need for delivering pensions at the doorstep of the elderly and disabled to alleviate their difficulties.
He demanded immediate distribution of pensions to beneficiaries through alternative arrangements in accordance with the directives of the ECI.
Naidu also spoke to the Chief Electoral Officer urging him to instruct the government to ensure uninterrupted pension distribution to prevent hardship to beneficiaries. He sought stringent measures to check alleged false propaganda of YSRC ministers and leaders regarding the pension disbursement.