HC acts on TSE report
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 14 2018:
Division Bench High Court of Manipur has directed the State Government to issue a reply within four weeks regarding a Suo Moto PIL taken up by the Court in connection with effective implementation of Welfare Schemes, including widow pension scheme, in the State.
The High Court of Manipur, registered the Suo Moto PIL, on the basis of the report in the February 12 edition of The Sangai Express, regarding the non-payment of widow pension, and was listed before the Division Bench, High Court of Manipur, comprising of Chief Justice Abhilasa Kumari and Justice Kh Nobin, as PIL number 3 of 2018, in respect of effective implementation of welfare schemes, including widow schemes, in the State versus the State of Manipur represented by the Chief Secretary and four other respondents.
The respondents include Principal Secretary/Commissioner Social Welfare Department, Principal Secretary/Commissioner Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies, Director Social Welfare and Director, CAF&PD.
Going through the news report, the Court mentioned that the benefit of various welfare schemes, including widow pension, rationing of food items etc, have not reached the deserving people and the matter require urgent attention of the State Government.
The Division Bench after hearing the PIL, issued notice to the State Government to reply within four weeks and listed the matter for hearing on March 16.Advocate P Tamphamani, assisting the Advocate General received the notice on behalf of the State Government.
It may be mentioned that in the news report, it was reported that a widow named Haobam (o) Bimola Devi (48) has not been able to get the benefits of Indira Gandhi Widow pension schemes as well as other schemes, after her husband died in 2006 (when she was 36 years old) and she was not eligible for the widow pension.
When she reached 40 years of age, she submitted an application for availing widow pension through a worker of a local MLA, who charged her a sum of Rs 500, but she still could not get any benefits.
It was also reported that Bimola does not have any BPL or AAY cards and hence she had not received any subsidized food items from the Government.
She is currently running a tea stall in women market and recently submitted the documents for a ration card for availing the benefits prescribed in the National Food Security Act.