Minister launches pension adalat

Officers directed to work at grassroots level to identify beneficiaries

Officials at the grassroots level should work honestly to weed out corruption and to extend benefits of the schemes to beneficiaries, said Revenue and District In-Charge Minister V Sreenivas Prasad.

Launching State-wide ‘Pension Adalat’ at Kudlapur, Doddakaulande Hobli, Nanjangud taluk, on Sunday, he stressed on the objective of the system introduced to implement National Social Security Schemes, which is claimed to be the first of its kind in the country. He said, officials should identify the beneficiaries, by conducting door-to-door survey, and include the names of all eligible beneficiaries.

He said, officers should conduct Pension Adalats by 15th of every month and redress grievances within five to six months. Senior officers should instruct junior officers at hobli and remote levels to work in the regard.

The minister warned officers who do not work sincerely in rural areas and against negligence in implementing the schemes. He said, door-to-door surveys and adalats could root out the menace of middle men. The beneficiaries, who claim benefits, should be at ease and visit government offices just to receive sanction letters.
He said, pensions would be extended for divorced and unmarried woman above 40 years of age under the National Social Security Scheme, for which funds will be earmarked in the budget.

Types of pension

Presently, there are Old Age Pension, Destitute Widow Pension, Sandhya Suraksha Yojana and Physically Handicapped Pension.

Prasad instructed presidents of Gram Panchayats to conduct regular meetings, failing which they will have to face action, including sacking. Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan said, launching the system at Kudlapura was important as the villages of Doddakaulande Hobli suffered distress due to drought and the residents were migrating to Ooty and Madikeri in search of jobs. The adalats would solve the problems of the residents and retain them at their villages to carry on with their routine activities.

He said, villagers should take initiative to construct toilets in their house, for which, Rs 9,500 is been provided by the Central government.