Nabarangpur: Elderly pension beneficiaries protested outside the Raighar block office in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district over alleged delays in receiving their pensions.
Some beneficiaries, who had not received their pensions for “four to five months”, said they relied on the payments to buy medicines and meet daily expenses, adding that the delay had made it difficult to afford basic necessities.
A beneficiary questioned the delay, saying many elderly people had no family members to support them and depended entirely on government assistance.
Raighar Block Development Officer Ritu Singh said 500 to 600 elderly beneficiaries had complained about the non-payment when they approached her October 15.
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She added that, “Around 60% of eligible beneficiaries in the block had received their pensions, while the remaining 40% were yet to be paid.” The pending amounts were expected to be credited by the first week of November, she added.
Raighar block chairman Gupta Prasad Jhankar described the delay as unfortunate.
The protesters called off their agitation after the BDO assured them that the pending payments would be made.
PNN
