THOOTHUKUDI: A 90-year-old woman has been left to fend for herself after the state government withdrew the entire Rs 36,000 that she had been receiving as part of the old age pension scheme, since 2020. R Thangammal, of Sathankulam, has now demanded that her assistance be returned.
Sources said that Thangammal, of Kamaraj Nagar, has been living in a thatched hut with her three sons, namely, P Ravi (60), a tailor, and two disabled sons P Baskar (55) and P Raman (50). Thangammal's husband Petchimuthu died 37 years ago, according to sources. Although Thangammal is entitled to financial assistance under the pension scheme, activist Chandra Priyadarshini told TNIE that the elderly woman was unaware of the amount being credited to her savings account for three years. Whenever Thangammal approached the bank to inquire about her pension amounts, Chandra said, she was allegedly mistreated "due to her appearance."
Chandra said recently decided to accompany Thangammal to the Sathankulam branch of the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), and got the bank statement of her account, only to find out that Thangammal had been receiving financial aid since 2020. To her shock, Chandra added, the government had also withdrawn Rs 36,000 from Thangammal's account on April 29, without any intimation or verification. The activist said that Thangammal had been submitting petitions for a pension scheme and monthly honorarium all the while not knowing that she was receiving the pension benefits.
"The officials did not even confirm if she was receiving the benefits. Due to her age, she is unable to access the bank often", Chandra said. A bank official said that the Social Security Scheme (SSS) officials will send a request to the banks to withdraw money credited to idle accounts or ineligible candidates. It has to be done without any question, the official added. Thangammal has now requested the state government to return the pension amount in its entirety and aid her in constructing a house since her hut crashed partially due to the recent rains.