Live
- Govt plans to establish offshore Johns Hopkins University Campus in India
- Goa Aces clinch Indian Racing League title
- Study finds how hormone therapy can reshape the skeleton
- High-street fashion players looking at India for manufacturing: Report
- Shreyas Iyer to lead Mumbai as Prithvi Shaw returns for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
- 'Failed to resolve crisis': NPP withdraws support from BJP govt in Manipur
- Chennai: Actress Kasturi Remanded in Custody Until 29th of This Month
- Aaqib Javed likely to become Pakistan's new white-ball head coach
- BJP panel to draft poll charge sheet against AAP govt in Delhi
- Allu Arjun Thanks Fans in Patna, Teases 'Pushpa 2' Release
Defunct server squeezes energy of aged pensioners
Senior citizens had a tough time in the scorching heat to receive their old-age pensions here on Saturday. They came to receive the pension early in the morning. But to their dismay, the server failed which is necessary to take their biometric attendance and to enter the pension details online.
Tirupati: Senior citizens had a tough time in the scorching heat to receive their old-age pensions here on Saturday. They came to receive the pension early in the morning. But to their dismay, the server failed which is necessary to take their biometric attendance and to enter the pension details online.
Normally, pension will be disbursed from 6 am. On Saturday, the server cracked and responded only after almost five hours. It was at about 11 am only it started functioning. Senior citizens, who came from far off places, had to wait for long hours. They didn’t have drinking water and nothing to eat and the plight of the diabetic people was even more pitiable.
Highlights:
- Senior citizens having to wait at pension offices for 5 hours before they could get Rs 1,000 per head pension
- Even shifting of pension office from Gandhi Bhavan to Hathiramji Mutt irks some pensioners
Eligible people get the old-age and widow pensions of Rs 1,000 each on the first of every month. More than 11,000 pensions are to be disbursed by the Tirupati Municipal Corporation. There are around 30 pension disbursing centres located in the 50 divisions of the corporation.
But, as the beneficiaries list was not streamlined according to their place of residence, the aged were supposed to go to distant places to receive their pension. Earlier, pensions were distributed at Gandhi Bhavan but this month it was shifted to Hathiramji Mutt and pensioners had to go to Mutt office.
The habitation officer said that it was shifted for the convenience of the senior citizens only. Some of the beneficiaries said that Gandhi Bhavan was more convenient for them. A widow Vasanthamma of Mangalam area told The Hans India that she has to spend Rs 30 to 40 for the conveyance in a share auto and prefers to take the pension in her area only.
The attempts to contact the Deputy Municipal Commissioner went in vain. It was learnt from the corporation authorities that they are streamlining the beneficiaries list according to their areas. If anyone gives them the identity number and their choice of the centre where they want to receive their pensions, it can be changed immediately.
But, the habitation officer said that it is necessary to give a requisition with photostat copy of Aadhaar and an identity number, which none of the beneficiaries were aware of. Clearly, the authorities concerned have failed to create awareness among the aged people and distribute the pension at a place near their residence. This has become a curse for the senior citizens, who have to face the trauma month after month.
