Source: Hueiyen News Service
Tamenglong, September 07, 2010:
The District Social Welfare Department for the last three days distributed Anna Purna rice for old age pensioners for four months at the office complex, Tamenglong afford after a one year gap.
As many as 386 old age pensioners benefited under this scheme in Tamenglong district.
Reliable sources said that the District Social Welfare Department was run by a three member staff including the officer,the District Social Welfare Officer himself, one Gram Sevaka and one peon.
A well placed source said that the department has released the honorarium for Manipur Old Age Pensioners (Rs 100 per month) to 716 pensioners in the district.
The department was able to pay for six months from September 2009 to February 2010. The source disclosed that the department is under process to disburse the honorarium to 3396 beneficiaries of Central Old Age Pensioners after settlement of a controversy.
The controversy arose after the state asked the old age pensioners to open bank accounts while the old age pensioners pleaded they were too old to travel to open and operate bank accounts.
The source also said that for the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pensioners Scheme a list has been selected, without disclosing how many beneficiaries were selected.
Under the District Social Welfare department there are various schemes available like Indira Gandhi National Disable Pensioners Scheme (for disabled persons), National Families Benefit Scheme, and Corrective Service Programme to control drug abuse among others.
The department has plans to conduct disable assessment to identify disabled persons in the district which is likely to be held in December.
The source also said that the department with the help of one NGO called Community Development Association; Tamenglong will be setting up an Old Age Home in the District HQs.