India News | NHRC Notices to JH Govt, Ministry of Social Justice over 'delay' of Pension

New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) The NHRC has issued notices to the Jharkhand government and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment over reported "delay and denial" of pension and "diversion of funds" meant for senior citizens, widows and the specially-abled, officials said on Monday.

In a statement, the rights panel said it has taken cognisance of a media report, and observed that the contents of it, if true, raise a serious issue of human rights violation.

"The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the basis of a media report has observed that it appears the funds became a bone of contention between the Centre and the government of Jharkhand for a considerable period resulting in denial or delayed payment of financial assistance under various schemes, including the old-age pension and COVID relief payments under the Pradhan Mantri Gharib Kalyan Yojana, PMGKY, in the state," it said.

Reportedly, since July last year that is in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted the livelihood of lakhs of people across the country, the government of Jharkhand "stopped distribution" of pensions to nearly 10 lakh eligible widows, senior citizens and specially-abled citizen across the state, the statement said.

Issuing notices to the Jharkhand government through its chief secretary and the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through its secretary, the commission has expressed concern as to how the money received from the Centre under one head, was reportedly utilised for another head, "resulting thereby in denial of basic need for survival of the poor people", the statement said.

The NHRC has also expressed concern over a "reported huge gap" between the beneficiaries on the roll, and those actually getting the pension under various categories. The state government and the ministry have been given six weeks to submit a detailed report, it said.

The statement said that the media report highlighted the case study of a 62-year-old small farmer, with a meagre income, who had to borrow more than Rs 10,000 from relatives to pay his hospital bills when his leg was fractured in Ukamar village in Latehar district in July last year.

But for five months after his fracture, he did not receive any pension money of Rs 1,000 per month, as per his entitlement under a central government scheme for senior citizens, it added.

Reportedly, all the eligible persons are not being paid pension despite protest by people for long. There is a huge gap of about 64 per cent between the beneficiaries on the rolls, and the ones who are actually getting the pension under different categories, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)