Political controversy erupts in Andhra Pradesh over pension distribution dispute

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSRCP has accused TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu of instigating the challenges to disrupt the pension distribution process.

A political conflict has arisen in Andhra Pradesh over the distribution of pensions, with the YSR Congress Party and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at odds. The issue centres around images and footage of elderly and disabled pensioners being taken to village and ward secretariats to collect their pensions, which has sparked widespread outrage. This has become a point of contention between the two parties, with the YSR Congress blaming TDP leaders for the pensioners' difficulties.

The controversy intensified when the Election Commission of India (ECI) prohibited village and ward volunteers from delivering pensions directly to beneficiaries' homes. As a result, the state government arranged for pension collection at local secretariats, which has resulted in chaos and long queues at these centres. Many elderly and disabled individuals could not receive their pensions due to logistical issues, including delays in bank fund withdrawal.

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSRCP has accused TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu of instigating the challenges to disrupt the pension distribution process. Jagan's remarks reflect a deep-seated political rivalry, as he suggested Naidu's lack of humanity in light of the suffering pensioners were causing.

ఇంటి వద్ద వాలంటీర్లతో పింఛన్ పంపిణీని చంద్రబాబు అడ్డుకోవడంతో.. సచివాలయాల వద్ద మండే ఎండల్లో అవస్థలు పడుతున్న పండుటాకులు#CBNBackstabbedPensioners#TDPAgainistVolunteers#TDPAntiPoor#EndOfTDP pic.twitter.com/6Aj6O1GyW6

— YSR Congress Party (@YSRCParty) April 4, 2024

Chandrababu Naidu has defended the volunteer system and clarified that he is against the politicisation of volunteer work. He accused the opposition YSRCP party of manipulating the situation to their advantage. Naidu suggested a more efficient distribution method allowing door-to-door delivery by government employees, ensuring that pensions reach the beneficiaries without unnecessary delay.

This issue has caused considerable distress among pensioners who depend on these funds for critical medical needs. The confusion and frustration were palpable among the elderly, caught in a political battle's crossfire. Volunteers who once facilitated the door-to-door distribution expressed feeling scapegoated and harassed, leading some to resign.

ఆంధ్రప్రదేశ్ లో 40 డిగ్రీలకు పైన ఉష్ణోగ్రతలు నమోదవుతున్నాయి. ఇలాంటి వాతావరణంలో వృద్దులను, దివ్యాంగులను... ఇతర పెన్షన్ లబ్దిదారులను 3-4 కిలోమీట్లర్ల దూరంలో ఉన్న గ్రామ/వార్డు సచివాలయాల చుట్టూ తిప్పించుకోవడం మానవత్వం అనిపించుకోదు. అందుకే పింఛన్లను ఇంటి వద్దకే తెచ్చి ఇచ్చే ఏర్పాట్లు… pic.twitter.com/i5uuufd2pY
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) April 2, 2024

Amidst the ongoing political blame game, there have been increasing demands for an immediate solution to ensure the timely and dignified distribution of pensions. Several opposition parties, including TDP, Congress, CPI(M), and Jana Sena Party, have called upon the government to devise an alternative system to prevent further inconvenience to the beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, Sashibhushan Kumar, the Principal Secretary of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, has provided an update on the pension distribution process, which is the focal point of the contention. According to a press release by Kumar, the state has successfully distributed pensions to 25.66 lakh beneficiaries out of 65.69 lakh for April. This involved the release of ₹1,951.69 crore towards social security pensions, highlighting the government's commitment to support its vulnerable populations amidst the ongoing electoral and bureaucratic challenges.

Kumar also explained the measures taken to adapt to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) directive, which had halted the usual door-to-door pension distribution by village and ward volunteers due to the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). He stated that all District Collectors were instructed to ensure that Village and Ward Secretariats start disbursing pensions from 7 a.m. onwards from Thursday, April 4, given the summer heat waves. This directive aims to mitigate the impact of the sweltering summer temperatures on the pensioners, many of whom are elderly or infirm, as they collect their pensions.

To facilitate this large-scale operation, the government has mobilised an extensive network of 13,669 village and ward secretariats, ensuring the pension distribution process commenced smoothly across the state. Kumar reassured that all necessary arrangements had been made for the expedient and orderly disbursement of pensions from April 3 to 6, highlighting the logistical efforts involved in reaching such a vast number of beneficiaries.

Furthermore, Kumar emphasised the government's commitment to ensuring that the most vulnerable among the pensioners, such as those who are very old, differently-abled, bed-ridden, or otherwise severely infirm, receive their pensions directly at their doorsteps, without the need to visit the secretariats. "The instructions issued in the guidelines with respect to the mandatory disbursement of pensions at the doorstep to four extremely vulnerable categories are re-iterated, and the district Collectors are requested to ensure the same by duly designing an effective action plan for its execution," he explained.