Pension pangs haunt beneficiaries

Rangareddy: While the whole government machinery is busy in preparing ground for holding LS elections, scores of old-age family pensioners belonging to Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts are plagued over the way they are forced to make rounds to the pension payment office (PPOs) at Motigally, enduring scorching heat after finding that amounts are yet to be released so far.

While officials are admitting that scores of pensioners are approaching the office daily with grievances, the old beneficiaries say they suffer hardships as they forgot to file life certificates on time. The pensioners also point a finger at the government for not putting in place a system that reminds them in advance about the filing date.

“I came to know that my pension for April was held up by the PPO authorities due to non-filing of life certificate six days after the beginning of this month. On approaching the office enduring heat, the staff said it will take a month to resolve the issue; possibly the pension will be released next month along with payment of May,” rued a 70-year-old pensioner.

“The old-age pensioners, in serenity, generally fail to keep in mind the date of filing the life certificate. What is more unpleasant is that we didn’t even receive any intimation either from authorities to remind us of the same,” said Abdul Qayyum.

There are two Assistant Pension Payments Offices (APPOs) running separately for Falaknuma and Chandrayangutta in a single building in an extremely narrow lane at Motigally, with probably over 16,000 pensioners enrolled in the two sections.

Having no proper access from both sides, the office located in the middle of a narrow street is generally perceived as most unaccessable location to reach as even two/three-wheeler vehicles find it difficult to make way out of the passage.

It is learnt that there are scores of such cases in which pensioners didn’t get amounts this month due to technical issues online and are forced to make rounds of the office. “There are hundreds of cases in which online filing of life certificates fails to generate credentials of the pensioners; this results in delay in releasing pensions,” informs an official.

Pensioners are also worried over the non-responsive attitude of the staff at the office. “What is more awful is that the staff, especially at APPO section, gives no hoot to pick up distress calls. This forces us to visit office,” said another pensioner in serenity.

“The APP officials are found available online on government sites, but they least respond to calls made by pensioners. Some officials are even found regularly absent whenever we visit the office,” informed Mohd Habeeb.