Ensure payment of welfare pensions by May 2, CFD urges Special General Observer
The organisation urges the poll official to bar volunteers from resigning at the eleventh hour to function as poll agents for the ruling party and prevent ‘Advisers’ from doing political work
The Citizens for Democracy (CFD) has brought to the notice of the Special General Observer for Andhra Pradesh Ram Mohan Mishra the hardship faced by nearly 65 lakh welfare pensioners, earlier this month, due to the delay in the distribution of pensions.
Former Chief Secretary and CFD vice president L.V. Subrahmanyam and former State Election Commissioner and CFD secretary N. Ramesh Kumar met the Special General Observer here on Friday, and told him that consequent to the direction of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to dissociate ‘volunteers’ from the task of pension distribution, the State government has failed to make necessary arrangements for speedy distribution.
This had resulted in the pensions being distributed beyond the first week in April (this month).
Giving details to media persons later in the evening, Mr. Subrahmanyam and Mr. Ramesh said that the welfare pensioners, mostly elderly women, had to endure considerable hardship due to inordinate delay in the queue lines and oppressive heatwave conditions.
They also expressed concern at the malicious targeting of the CFD, by a section of the press, that it was supporting the Opposition.
They said that CFD has faulted both the ruling and the principal Opposition parties for their stand on ‘volunteers’.
Mr. Ramesh Kumar said that they had met the Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena on April 6 and told him of their apprehensions on possible delayed pension payments in May also. He said that they had impressed upon the Special General Observer to obtain a foolproof plan from the Chief Secretary for disbursal of pensions by May 2, and cautioned him that failure to do so could create an avoidable controversy ahead of the elections.
The CFD had impressed upon the Observer to bar volunteers from resigning at the eleventh hour to function as poll agents for the ruling party. This would enable them to influence voters from within the polling booths, which was a violation of the ECI directions.
They said that the CFD has also expressed its strong reservations against ‘Advisers’ in A.P., who were public servants, and were indulging in political work, in violation of MCC (Model Code of Conduct) and would effect free and fair elections. They said that the Special General Observer had taken note of the issues raised and promised to respond to them expeditiously.