Rs 1.2 cr yet to be given to old age pensioners
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 24 2014:
An amount of Rs.1.20 crore meant for Manipur Old Age Pension Scheme has been lying in the account of DDO/Social Welfare Department for the last two years without reaching the hands of 15000 beneficiaries, who are entitled to Rs.800 each for four months.
According to a reliable source, Manipur Old Age Pension Scheme was introduced in the State since the year 1982 for providing monthly pension to the old aged persons at Rs.100 per beneficiary since its inception.
At the end of the financial year 2011-12, the State Cabinet approved to increase the pension amount from Rs.100 to Rs.200 per month per beneficiary along with increase of additional 15000 beneficiaries.
Accordingly, the State Government accorded additional sanction of Rs.1.20 crore for payment of pension to 15000 additional beneficiaries at Rs.200 per beneficiary per month for a period of four months in excess of Budget Estimates (2011-12) at the end of the financial year.
The additional sanctioned amount of Rs.1.20 crore has been encashed and parked in the account of DDO/Social Welfare Department due to non-selection/identification of the additional 15000 beneficiaries during the year 2011-12, the source disclosed.
Thereafter, new State Government took up the scheme and identified and finalized the additional 15000 beneficiaries in the month of June, 2013 .
Recently, new old age pension cards were distributed to the newly selected 15000 beneficiaries without clearing their due pension amount of Rs.800 per beneficiary for four months, which have already been sanctioned by the State Government during the financial year 2011-12 .
The source further mentioned that the sanctioned amount of Rs.1.20 crore was also given one time exemption from the purview of the e-payment in the interest of the old age pensioners by the Finance Department vide order no.3/119/2011-D/IF dated May 3, 2012.However, the amount has remained parked in the DDO's account for the last two years.
The poor beneficiaries have drawn the attention of the authorities concerned to look into the matter and make early payment of the due pension amount of Rs.800 per beneficiary for four months.