Provide pension without delay to waiting senior citizens, widows: PMK
The state government should provide pensions to 80,000 additional senior citizens and widows. It should also increase the pension amount and other financial aid to Rs 4,000 per month.
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss
CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the delay in providing pension for 80,000 additional senior citizens and widows and urged the state government to ensure new beneficiaries received the money.
In a statement, he recalled that the government had announced to include more beneficiaries under social security schemes several months ago. "More than 1 lakh eligible senior citizens and widows applied to avail pension and are waiting for it. Instead of helping them, the government is making blank announcements. The Tamil Nadu government should learn from Andhra Pradesh in implementing social security schemes.
"In Tamil Nadu, Rs 1,200 is given as pension but in Andhra Pradesh, it is Rs 3,000 per month. Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has now increased it Rs 4,000 per month. 66.34 lakh beneficiaries are in the neighbouring state but in Tamil Nadu, only 34.90 lakh persons are being benefited," he added.
He went on to add that the population of Andhra Pradesh is lower than that of Tamil Nadu but the government of the neighbouring state has allocated Rs 33,100 crore for social security schemes whereas in Tamil Nadu, only Rs. 5,337 crore is being spent on the same.
"The state government should provide pensions to 80,000 additional senior citizens and widows. It should also increase the pension amount and other financial aid to Rs 4,000 per month," he urged.
