Relief for elderly as pension restored after five months

New Delhi, August 23

Finance Minister Atishi on Friday announced the release of old-age pension funds, accusing the BJP-led Central Government for refusing to disburse its share of funds.

‘Centre withheld funds’

For the last five months, the Central Government had withheld the old-age pension of 1 lakh elderly people of Delhi. The elders were very worried. — Atishi, Finance Minister

The Delhi Government provides Rs 2,200 per month per pensioner, while the Centre contributes Rs 300. However, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that for the past five months, the Central Government allegedly withheld its portion, causing a delay in the disbursement of pensions to elderly citizens.

“These 1 lakh elderly citizens of Delhi have been upset for the past five months. They felt that there was no one to fight for them as their son Arvind Kejriwal is in jail,” Atishi said.

“In the last few months, whenever I went to meet him, he asked one thing each time, whether the elderly received their pension or not?” she said.

“On August 22, the Delhi Government began crediting the overdue pension into the accounts of elderly residents, with 90,000 pensions reportedly transferred by yesterday and the remaining 10,000 expected to be disbursed by today,” she added.

“The way we fought against the BJP-led government for the release of pension funds is the same way we will fight to get the stalled work of Delhiites done,” Atishi said during a press conference.

“Even if their son (Kejriwal) is in jail, he will not stop fighting for their rights,” she added.