Errors in death-related records, several persons denied pension for months

Sunit Dhawan

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Rohtak, September 13

Nirmala (60), a resident of Sunderpur village in Rohtak, had been getting a widow pension for 10 years. Nine months ago, her pension was stopped by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, stating that her husband was alive as per their records.

AAP ex-prez gives assurance

I assure the pensioners that I will give pension to them till the government restores it. — Naveen Jaihind, Ex-Prez, AAP, Haryana unit

Rajo (70) of Quilla Mohalla in Rohtak city, who had also been receiving a widow pension for nearly 15 years, stopped getting it six months ago as she was shown dead in government records. The widow has since been cleaning utensils at people’s homes to make ends meet.

The pension of another widow, Anita (54), a resident of Rohtak, has also been stopped. The government record shows that she is a retired government official drawing a pension of Rs 1.40 lakh. Anita, on the other hand, said she had never had a job.

Krishan (54) of Dhanana village in Sonepat had been getting a disability pension since 1980. His pension was stopped around six months ago as he is also shown dead in the government records.

90-year-old Bhartho Devi of Amboli village in Jhajjar and 85-year-old Chameli Devi of Dhamar village in Rohtak district share a similar story. They have also been shown dead in government records and their pensions have been stopped.

Pensions of Rajjo (70) of Kiloi village in Rohtak, Bedo (85) of Sunderpur village in Rohtak, Veena (55) of Gohana Stand and Renu (56) of Quilla Mohalla in Rohtak have also been stopped in the recent months.

A number of such old-age, widow and disabled pensioners, whose pensions have been stopped abruptly on such grounds, assembled in Rohtak and interacted with the media today, seeking restoration of their grievance.

The pensioners from Rohtak and nearby districts said they had been making rounds of government offices, elected representatives and leaders of the ruling party for months to get their pensions restored, but have only got empty assurances.

“I have been running from pillar to post to get my disability pension back for more than three years, but to no avail,” rued 20-year-old Shakila, a resident of Dhamar village in Rohtak, who lost her father a long ago.

Duli Chand (102) of Gandhra village in Rohtak, whose case was recently highlighted by the media, was also present on the occasion. The state authorities have passed the orders to restore his pension.

On Chand’s behalf, Naveen Jaihind, former president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said Chand would not accept his old-age pension until the pensions of all eligible persons was restored.

Jaihind, who had called the pensioners to Rohtak, assured them that he would give pension to them until the state government restored it. He also released a helpline number for such pensioners.