Elderly face hardships for pensions

Atmakur (Kurnool): Senior citizens are facing hardships to get their pension in the wake of demonetisation. They are waiting in serpentine queues at allotted service centres by their respective banks and some of them have fainted during the long wait.

According to the official report, there are 19,576 pensioners in five mandals of Srisailam constituency. The number of pensioners in two mandals of Atmakur division is 8,044. In present scenario, the pension is being disbursed to 15 per cent of the total 27,620 pensioners of seven mandals.

Banks were entrusted with the task of disbursing pensions this month instead of entrusting to Panchayat secretaries as in November. The banks in turn entrusted the task to their agents at service centres.

Bank staff didn’t even bother to provide water to the septuagenarians, who fainted in the line. Some agents of a nationalised bank started collecting Rs 10 from the pensioners.

Some main brancs displayed no cash board. They expressed anguish saying that the agents were acting merciless. Physically challenged, widows, women of self help groups said that the impact of the hardships they are facing now would be shown in the coming elections.

M Sathya Peter