Hyderabad: Vexed over pension delay, disabled plan another demo

Hyderabad: Even as repeated reminders, representations and protests failed to solve the issue of delay in Aasara pensions, the disabled people are now planning to hold another demonstration soon to raise the issue as they see no light at the end of the tunnel.

Earlier, the Divyang people, under the banner of Telangana Disabled Welfare Society (TDWS), held a protest at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park on August 31, to draw the attention of government towards addressing the issue of delay in disbursement of Aasara pensions.

Though there are over 11 lakh eligible waiting to get benefitted, only 4.82 lakh Divyangs are presently getting Aasara pensions while others are still waiting to get the money from the government despite securing Software for Assessment of Disabled for Access Rehabilitation and Empowerment (SADARAM) certificates.

Syed Afroz, president, TDWS said, "The issue of procrastination in pension disbursement remains unsolved. We are already getting a meagre amount of Rs 3,016 per month as pension which is not sufficient to pay the monthly rent or bear the medicinal expenses." "Whatever we are receiving from the government as pension is just a paltry sum.

We don't have any other source to survive due to disability, while the trifling patronage being extended by the government is not sufficient to make us completely self-reliant. We are left with no option but to keep harping on the issue till it gets resolved. We are planning the same as the pressure of holding the protest keeps on mounting," he added.

While non-release of pension amounts on time making the beneficiaries dejected, the concerned staff members of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) too were seen vexed watching people keep approaching them to enquire about the release of pension.

"We are fed up with receiving calls from beneficiaries asking about the release of pensions. Some of them even sit at the office stairs for hours. We can't do anything as the whole thing is managed by the central zone and we are here just to enrol the names of the beneficiaries.

That's all we can do," informed an official, who is a part of The Urban Community Development (UCD).