Outrage Erupts: Tripura Congress Condemns BJP for Heartless Exclusion of Thousands from Pension Benefits | Guwahati News
The Congress party in Tripura has leveled allegations against the ruling BJP, accusing them of engaging in political vendettas by excluding thousands from social pension schemes. According to Ashis Kumar Saha, President of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee, around 40,622 beneficiaries have been unjustifiably removed from various pension lists, citing invalid reasons. Before the 2018 elections, the BJP had pledged to increase the pension amount to Rs 3,000 and include all qualifying families in these schemes. However, Saha claims that over the years, the pension amount has not been increased, and the list of beneficiaries has not expanded; instead, many deserving individuals were removed due to perceived anti-BJP sentiments.
Saha points out that reasons for the exclusions included the lack of birth certificates for the elderly and absence of legal divorce documents, particularly among tribal women abandoned by their spouses. He argued these requirements were unfair as institutionalized births were not common decades ago, and such legal documentation is often unavailable in marginalized communities. Between early 2018 and now, the number of beneficiaries reportedly dropped from 4.19 lakh to 3.78 lakh. Saha contends that soon after assuming power, the BJP suspended pension disbursements, attributing it to the need to address irregularities, but he alleges the real motive was politically driven, favoring BJP loyalists.
In September 2022, the government announced a pension increase to Rs 2,000, claiming credit for the move. However, Saha insists this was managed by trimming the beneficiary list and delaying payments without expanding the budget. Consequently, the Congress argues that the BJP’s actions have severely impacted the state’s poor, sidelining them through bureaucratic obstacles and undermining the social welfare framework initially promised.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/tripura-congress-slams-bjp-for-excluding-thousands-from-pension-benefits/articleshow/116148200.cms
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Publish Date: 2024-12-09 23:29:00
