THRISSUR:It was very recently that Alphonsa, who has been crippled by polio, came to know the government has blocked her welfare pension of Rs 1,100 per month, because she is “dead” as per official records.
“We are confused and worried as it is our only hope amid the poverty and other issues. She cried for long when she came to know the pension has been blocked for no valid reason,” said Thresya, Alphonsa’s mother. Because Alphonsa cannot stand or walk, she is unable to go to offices to enquire about the denial of pension.
“I am all alive here. Who marked me dead? Neither the officials nor the councillor visited us before the officials marked me as dead. I had to visit the bank and the corporation office many times in this regard,” said a teary-eyed Alphonsa.
The last time she received the quarterly pension was during Easter. Thresya used to work as a cook in a nearby school, which she discontinued due to bad health. If Alphonsa is dead as per records, Rosy Kochappan, who ekes out a living by selling lotteries, is denied her pension as she owns a luxury car, as per the official records! Strangely, official records show that Rosy Kochappan owns a Honda City car; even the vehicle number is also added. This is when Rosy waits for the mercy of the Corporation to renovate her tile-roofed house.
“I don’t even know which car it is. I have two daughters, one of whom is a widow. Even though they are earning their own, the welfare pension was a great relief,” she added.In the civil station division of Thrissur Corporation alone, 33 people have been denied their welfare pension. They are either dead or own luxury cars.
As per the data, around 5,600 people in Thrissur Corporation has been denied welfare pension. Mayor Ajitha Jayarajan assured the problem will be resolved soon. “It should be some software or technical errors, and we have instructed officials to verify the list again as soon as possible. Those who have been marked dead wrongly will be corrected. At the same time, those who are receiving the pension undeservingly will be removed from the list,” she said.People from Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and other districts have faced similar issues in availing welfare pensions.