People to be made aware of new pension schemes

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 19

Vikram Singh Negi, Parliamentary Secretary and Chairman of the Social Welfare Committee for Dehradun District, today said an awareness drive would be launched to ensure people come forward to avail of the benefits of the new pension schemes announced for hill priests, farmers and women by the Harish Rawat government.

Negi told mediapersons after holding the first meeting of the Social Welfare Committee here that they would entrust the responsibility of popularising and galvanising people to avail of the benefits of the schemes to gram pradhans in villages and board members in cities and towns.

“We will shortly organise camps for pensioners in different places to resolve their problems and also apprise people about our schemes. The camps will be held in consultation with the Chief Minister, the minister concerned, MLAs and other leaders,” he said.

The government has so far received 367 applications from farmers for Rs 800 pension per month to be disbursed to those whose monthly income is below Rs 4,000. However, it has not received any response from women under the Tilu Rautela Pension Scheme, who have been handicapped (20 to 40 per cent) while collecting fodder or in an accident and are in the age group of 18 to 60 years, and hill priests under the scheme meant for them. Under all these schemes, the beneficiaries will receive Rs 800 per month as pension.