DSW warns strict action
Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 12: “Come next week” is the ultimate reply visiting elders, widows and physically challenged people, expecting good news regarding their pension, receive from District Social Welfare Office Jammu after which they leave the office premises with a broken heart.
Holding the walking stick, these pension seeking elders leave Social Welfare Office with their trembling legs and dejection clearly visible on their face and lips murmuring something in abject disappointment.
Sarabjit and Ranjana Bedi-an elderly couple, had applied for old age pension at the Social Welfare Office Jammu somewhere in the mid of year 2015 and after that they kept on visiting the office to check the status of their case.
While Sarabjit Bedi left this world in January 2018 at an age of 82 after he suffered multiple organ failure, Ranjana Bedi, now widow, 74, with swollen knees and high blood pressure problems is somehow managing to pay visits at the Social Welfare Office in Amphalla, Jammu but every time she returns home empty handed.
“I don’t know why they are delaying my pension. Apart from daily expenditure I also need medicines as I suffer from many ailments,” she said.
Sources informed that many pension seeker elders die before getting pension from the Social Welfare Department.
“After praying to God I come here with a hope that this time I may have some good news regarding my pension but like previous visits this time too my hopes were shattered with the same negative answer from the officials here,” Rukhsana Akhtar (name changed)-a widow, 63, hailing from Sunjwan area of Jammu told this reporters in Dogri language making repeated requests of helping her to get the pension as she said she was in great need of money after the death of her husband.
There are many cases of similar nature, some even worst with more pathetic tales to tell.
The 70 years old Sikh man, Sukha Singh (name changed) hailing from a hamlet in Marh block of Jammu was also at Social Welfare Office to enquire about the pension status of his wife, 65 years of age, for which she had applied in the year 2017.
“I have knee problem and it is very tough for me to get into the mini-bus and walk some distance to reach the Social Welfare Office,” he said adding that those at the helm of affairs should look into his wife’s case and also those of others.
Singh informed that he is getting old age pension for some years and his case was cleared within a year while that of his wife is lingering on from the year 2017.
If sources are to be believed, similar is the pathetic work culture in Social Welfare offices of many more districts of Jammu division.
When contacted District Social Welfare Officer Jammu, Ajay said last year there were 38,000 pending cases of pensions in Jammu district including widows, old age and physically challenged people of which record number of 13,000 cases were cleared and the remaining will be covered this year with priority as per norms.
Rehana Batul, Director Social Welfare Department when contacted informed that there might be some documental discrepancies in the applications of those who have not yet received pension for some years.
She claimed that her department has cleared 65,000 pension cases last year in record time for Jammu division with priority to physically challenged followed by old age pensions to those above 70 years of age and then widows.
“After the cutoff date some people acquired certificates like physically disability and death certificate of their husbands (for widow pension) and with this, number of eligible cases with us increased,” she informed.
On long pending cases, Batal said, last year many files of pension cases were brought to her office and work on them was started on war footing after properly scanning each and every case.
“The leftover cases might be having some discrepancies,” she said adding: “Still if there is some instance you may please bring that into my notice and we will see what wrong has happened there.”
On why the officials at Social Welfare Offices not properly guide the visiting elders on lack of documents rather than asking them to visit again, she said that earlier there might be some “wrongdoings at district levels” but now for the first time the files were brought to the Directorate (of Social Welfare Department) for proper scanning.
However, she agreed that there is possibility that some stray cases might have been left-out.
“People aspiring pension come to our office with a single application and they never say which document they lacked,” she said adding: “There may be some wrong elements in the staff harassing pension seekers for some personal interests. Bring such cases to us and I will take strict action against such staffers.”
“Earlier, the district officers used to bring finalized lists to the Directorate for sanctions but now I have asked for all files and a divisional level committee has been constituted under my supervision to scan each and every case,” the Director informed.
“Still if anyone has some issue, send it to the Directorate as proper help and guidance will be provided there,” she said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
