Srinagar, Oct 23: Apni Party leader Ghulam Hassan Mir has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to enhance the monthly pension for widows, orphans, elderly people and other vulnerable sections of society, while calling for the immediate release of pending payments.
Mir said the National Conference (NC) government had been in office for nearly two years but had yet to fulfil its manifesto promise of increasing the monthly pension from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000.
He said that, according to ground reports, beneficiaries had not received their monthly pensions for the past four months, causing considerable hardship to those who depend on the assistance for their daily needs.
“The monthly pension may not mean much to the government, but for these people, it means a lot,” he said, questioning the delay in disbursement and urging the government to investigate the reasons behind it.
Mir also criticised what he termed the government’s apathy towards vulnerable sections of society, asking why their hardships were not being addressed on priority.
“If the salaries of senior government officials are withheld, there is an immediate outcry everywhere. Why, then, is there silence when the pensions of the most vulnerable people are delayed?” he questioned.
He urged the government to take immediate steps to clear all pending pension payments and fulfil its commitment to enhancing the monthly pension to Rs 3,000.
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