Kesinga: Hundreds of deserving beneficiaries do not get old age as well as widow allowances in Kantesira panchayat in Kesinga block of Kalahandi district.
It has been learnt that over a hundred widows and ninety elderly persons have been passing through tough times amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions. Allegedly, genuine beneficiaries of Kurlupada, Kantesira, Tahasira, Gethipada and Harijanpada villages have had applied for allowances more than five times, under ambitious social security programme of the state government.
Despite running from pillar to post and submitting all necessary documents for the purpose, below poverty line (BPL), scheduled caste and scheduled tribe beneficiaries here have not been granted the allowances. The local administration has been in limbo for the past two years, the beneficiaries allege.
During FY 2018-19, only 30 beneficiaries of this area were sanctioned allowances under the Peoples Empowerment Enabling Transparency and Accountability (PEETHA) programme of the state government.
Over hundred local villagers of Kantesira panchayat have died over the past two years.
On being contacted, Kantesira panchayat executive officer (PEO) Abhimanyu Naik said, “I have already submitted documents of all the applicants to block authorities.’
Giving his views, local sarpanch Jitendranath Brahma said, “In fact, there are a number of genuine beneficiaries in this region. Some applicants have been suffering like anything for the past two years.”
PNN
