Majithia distributes old-age pension among 50 beneficiaries

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 18

More than 1.25 lakh persons will benefit in Amritsar following the state government’s policy of enhancing the statewide old-age pension. Officials said with an enhancement from Rs 250 to Rs 500 per month, Rs 6.27 crore would be disbursed among the beneficiaries.

Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia distributed pension envelopes among the beneficiaries here today. Seeking blessing of elders present on the occasion, Majithia urged them to distinguish between development of state during the Congress and the SAD-BJP rule.

Majithia distributed pension to the 50 beneficiaries during the function. He said from now onwards sarpanches in villages would distribute pensions to beneficiaries and the amount would be credited directly in panchayat accounts.

Speaking on the occasion, Majithia said, “Punjab is the only state in the country that will distribute Rs 86.25 crore to more than 17 lakh beneficiaries in a single day every month.”

He said the Chief Minister had set aside a corpus of Rs 1,000 crore for the old-age pension scheme so that there was no disruption in payment to senior citizens.

While flaying opposition parties for spreading canards about precarious financial condition of the state, Majithia said in contrast treasuries of Punjab were full of funds and state government had already expedited construction of development works running into thousands of crores.

He said fearing a crushing defeat in 2017, the frustrated opponents were bent upon digging their own grave by launching vicious propaganda against their own mother state. Describing Khadoor Sahib bypoll result a befitting reply to opponents, Majithia said it was just a trailer and the misconceptions of opponents would be completely cleared in 2017.

Thanking the electorate of Khadoor Sahib Constituency, Majithia said the Congress and AAP just build castles in the air while the SAD-BJP alliance worked for Punjab and took it to new heights of development and growth. He said the Congress and AAP were not only liars, but also political opportunists.

A recent survey on road infrastructure in the country was an apparent example of development in which Punjab ranked second after Kerala, he added. He said Punjab had also witnessed a reduction in below poverty line category from 20.9 to 8.86 per cent.

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of function, Majithia said Khalsa College issue was the result of conspiracies being hatched by the opposition. He said the college management was following the norms of Centre for the grant of university status to Khalsa College. There was no question to change its heritage look, he added. He said the Khalsa College Management would construct a separate complex for the college. The opposition was politicizing the issue in the wake of their vested interests, he added.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Boni Amarpal Singh Ajnala, Baba Bakala MLA Manjit Singh Mianwind, Jandiala MLA Baljit Singh Jalal Usma, BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh, Amritsar MC Mayor Bakshi Ram Arora, senior Deputy Mayor Avtar Singh Truckanwala, Deputy Mayor Avinash Jolly, Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam and senior officials of various departments were also present on the occasion.