‘Need to amend Widow Pension Scheme of SWD’

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 5: While in many states, the widow pension is provided to a woman after she turns widow while in Jammu and Kashmir, this benefit is accorded only after she attains the age of 40.
Expressing serious concern over the matter, the `Roti Bank’, a social organization working for the welfare of the poor and needy, in a communication flashed to the Secretary, J&K Social Welfare Department demanded to review the Scheme with sympathetic approach, so as to deliver justice to the destitute of our society.
Justifying the point, a spokesman of the organization said widowhood is a natural disaster in the life of a woman when she loses her husband to the fatal hands of death. A girl after attaining age of 18 is marriageable as per law. But if she turns widow at the age of 30, she would be made to wait for ten more years to get widow pension in J&K. This old policy of J&K Govt, needs to be reviewed by the LG’s Administration to provide justice to the fair sex, the spokesman pleaded.