Old Aged Persons (OAPs), Widows and Persons with Physical Disabilities (PwDs) have appreciated the State Government’s decision of enhancing their monthly pension to Rs 1000 from Rs 200.The announcement in this regard was made by the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr. Sajad Gani Lone here on Wednesday. Mr. Lone thanked the Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti for agreeing with the decision of the Social Welfare Department to enhance the pension.The pensioners while hailing the Government decision said the enhancement of the monthly pension has addressed their long pending demand.The beneficiaries said they have been raising the demand for enhancement of the pension for many years, however, it is only the present Government which has heard them, and the pension enhancement is a step towards fulfilling its promise of uplifting the disadvantaged sections of the society.Pertinently, the State Government has announced that the enhanced pension will be paid to the beneficiaries with effect from April 2016.Mr Sajad Gani Lone while announcing the enhancement said that the pension would directly be deposited into the respective bank accounts of beneficiaries. He said the move would not only save the time the money takes to reach the beneficiary, but would also nullify the chance of any kind of misappropriation. He said the decision would benefit about 5.70 lakh beneficiaries of the State who are currently registered with the Social Welfare Department.
Mr. Sajad Lone also said that any lapses from the officers in ensuring the benefits to the deserved persons would not be tolerated. He said the aim of the government is to uplift the living standards of the weaker sections and asked the concerned authorities to serve the people as per their expectations by ensuring proper implementation of various welfare schemes and their benefits to the targeted population.The Minister also disclosed that lot of reforms and structural changes are taking place in the Social Welfare Department to ensure that benefits of welfare schemes are taken to the doorstep of the beneficiaries.On the occasion the Minister said that the Social Welfare Department is the most important department which is connected directly with the common man and particularly dealing with the welfare of the people especially old age persons who deserve every sort of help and compassion from the government.Mr. Sajad Lone said that the Social Welfare Department, which is serving people since last more than five decades, plays yeomen’s role in addressing the problems of the weaker and vulnerable sections of the society like Old Aged Persons (OAP), women and children in distress, physically challenged persons, scheduled castes, Backward Classes, minorities and other socially and economically weaker sections. He said the department is also at the fore-front to empower women and for the overall development of the children especially between the age group of 0-6 years through ICDS.Terming AASRA a revolutionary step towards social security of women, the Minister said launching of such pioneering welfare schemes will provide the much needed succor to women belonging to low income families. He said that AASRA is a first step towards uplift of economically weaker sections of society and exhorted upon the people to come forward and avail the benefits of the scheme.