Widows deprived of pension hike announced in state budget

JAIPUR: Chief minister Vasundhara Raje announced in the budget this year that pension to old widows would be doubled - from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for those over 60; from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500 to those over 75 years. Many old widows, however, are deprived of the hiked pension, for their names are on the old age pension list. And there is no hike in the old age pension.

TOI met Narbada Natu (80) of Chainpura in Bhilwara district. She walks with a pronounced stoop. She is probably hard of hearing too, for her answers have little to do with questions. Her son told TOI she still receives Rs 500 as pension. "Even I did not know that the amount has been hiked and that my mother should now be getting Rs 1,500 if she is listed as a widow," he said.

The family was not aware that the widows' pension has been doubled in the last budget. They were also not sure which pension roll Narbada Natu's name was on.

In July last year, several pensioners from Rajasthan made a trip to Delhi and showed themselves at a press conference to prove they were not dead, as shown in government records. Many had been deprived of government pension as they were listed as 'dead' in government records. This problem has not been fully resolved. Fefi Devi from Kheema Kheda village of Bhim in Rajsamand district is among the 'dead' who continue to live. She has not received pension in months.

Laxmi Devi from Dawar village in Rajsamand has stopped receiving her pension too. According to government records, she was receiving pension in duplicate.

Even those who do receive pension, however, have been deprived of the amount assured in the budget announcements. Activists of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan (MKSS) recently surveyed Kheema Kheda and Dawar panchayats of Bhim block. Chamani Devi of Dawar in Bhim is 73. Her name is on the old age pension list. "No, I did not know about the doubling of amount. I will now see how to make the change so I can avail this benefit," she told TOI over phone.

The MKSS has written to the block development officer, seeking that six widows - Chamani Devi, Pratapi Devi, Nenu Devi, Chandri Devi, Lakshmi Devi and Jumi Devi - be included in the widow pension roll. They are currently listed as old age pensioners.

Laxmi Devi from Dawar and Fefi Devi from Kheema Kheda are also listed in the letter, which pleads that pension to these two old women be restored and that the government correct its records, which show that Fefi is dead and Laxmi receives pension in duplicate.

"Even the small pension goes a long way in these poor families. We appealed to officials to publish verified pension rolls. Verification was ordered in July last year. The public must have free access to the pension rolls so that anomalies could be corrected without subjecting the old to needless hardships," said Vineet Bhambu of MKSS. "This is not hard to do these days, with the government's IT prowess," he added.

Bhim's block development officer Prakash Sirshat said: "We will hold a camp and take stock of widows still on the old age list. We expect a revised pension list to be ready by December." DC Choudhary, who until the end of October was additional director (pension) in the state department of social justice, said, "Widows on the old age list must approach the SDM with the death certificate of the husband. I am no longer the officer responsible for this."