House okays five demands
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 25 2019: The State Assembly today passed five demands for grants amounting to Rs 1408,91,25,000.The demands for grants passed today pertained to PWD (Rs 854,04,63,000), Cooperation (Rs 34,74,28,000), Administration of Justice (Rs 98,74,71,000), Social Welfare (Rs 415,98,51,000) and Science and Technology (Rs 5,39,12,000).As the demands for grants were tabled in the State Assembly by Finance Minister Y Joykumar for due discussion and approval by the House, Opposition Members Kh Joykisan, D Korungthang, K Meghachandra, RK Imo and Abdul Nasir raised policy cut motions with regard to the demand pertaining to Social Welfare Department.

Korungthang pointed out that liabilities for construction of 1000 Anganwadi centres under the fifth phase have not been released after the first installment.

He also asked about the status of 1000 Anganwadi centres which must be constructed under the sixth phase.

Korungthang said that it is essential to carry out verification of old age pensioners who are residents of hill districts twice or thrice in a year.

He also questioned the Government's failure to release old age pension in time.

Saying that old age pension forms were issued indiscriminately during Go to Village and Go to Hills campaigns, K Meghachandra decried that the Government has been literally sleeping after around 30,000 old age pension forms were issued in Thoubal district alone two years back.

He further asked whether all those individuals who had collected forms would be given old age pension.

Responding to the policy cut motions, Chief Minister N Biren stated that an additional amount of Rs 5 crore has been incorporated in the budget to address complaints received during the Go to Village and Go to Hills campaigns.

Altogether around 19,000 complaints about not receiving old age pension were received during the campaigns.

Out of 11,582 complaints received by the Government regarding Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension, 2278 complaints were addressed immediately, claimed the Chief Minister.

Likewise, 602 complaints out of 980 regarding Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension were resolved immediately.

Some people in the age group of 45 to 50 were found enjoying old age pension during the Go to Village and Go to Hills campaigns, he said.

As for the old age pensioners who are unable to move around, the Government has been working to allow authorised persons draw the pensions from banks on their behalf, Biren informed the House.

The Government has initiated due process to institute an enquiry into the release of money for construction of 169 Anganwadi Centres even though the necessary lands/plots are not available.

Social Welfare Minister Nemcha Kipgen said that necessary amounts for old age pension have not been released since 2016, widow benefit scheme and disability pension since 2015 on account of not submitting utilisation certificates.

After several rounds of review meetings, the utilisation certificates were sent to the Centre in April-May last.

Subsequently, the Centre has sanctioned pension amounts for six months and the same amounts would be released shortly, Nemcha said.

As per the 2011 census; the total number of people in the State eligible for old age pension is around two lakh but 50 per cent of them have not been given any pension benefit till date, she informed the House.

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