Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 22: The Jammu and Kashmir Handicapped Association today protested against the withholding of monthly pensions to physically challenged persons in the Union Territory of J&K for the past six months.
Scores of Association members assembled at the Press Enclave and voiced their concerns by raising slogans against the Social Welfare Department and the LG administration, holding them accountable for the delay in pension disbursement.
Abdul Rasheed, the president of the Association, led the protest and accused the government of being insensitive towards the needs of the physically challenged community. “Despite submitting all the required documents, the Social Welfare Department has failed to release the pension for handicapped persons for the last six months, citing verification issues.”
Rasheed further highlighted the challenges faced by the community during the documentation process. “Initially, the government insisted on online document submission, which posed difficulties for us as we had to navigate from one office to another. Now, they claim that some documents have issues, but if that is the case, why are they not releasing pensions to those with flawless documentation?” he said.
Emphasising the plight of the physically challenged individuals, Rasheed criticised the government for withholding their meagre monthly income without considering the hardships faced by the community.” With Eid approaching, how can the physically challenged celebrate when their pensions are withheld? We urge the authorities to release the pension on humanitarian grounds at the very least,” he said.
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