Berhampur: Eighty-seven-year-old Sasibhusan Moharana of Boripadar in Ganjam district's Kaithakhandi panchayat is deeply worried. He has not received his monthly old-age pension under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for the past two months. Every alternate day, he visits the bank to inquire about it.
Similarly, B. Dandasi Reddy (75) of Kotharsing in Rangeilunda block faces the same predicament. Like Moharana and Reddy, over 1.49 lakh beneficiaries under NSAP in Ganjam district have not received their monthly pensions since April. Manoranjan Gouda, sarpanch of Kaithakhandi panchayat, stated that NSAP beneficiaries in his panchayat approach him almost daily to inquire about their pensions.
N. Damburu Reddy, a former zilla parishad member, highlighted that due to the delay in pension disbursement, beneficiaries are encountering significant difficulties in managing their daily expenses. In a letter to Ganjam Collector Keerthi Vassan V, he urged intervention to ensure regular pension distribution, noting that beneficiaries reliant on the pension for their livelihood are facing severe hardships.
Under NSAP, beneficiaries of old-age, widow, and disability pensions receive Rs 1,000 per month. Those aged over 80 years and persons with over 80% disability are entitled to Rs 3,500 per month. Reddy emphasized that most beneficiaries are needy and depend on this pension.
Admitting the non-disbursement of pensions for April and May, District Social Security Officer (DSSO) Krishna Chandra Behera stated that this issue is not confined to Ganjam but affects the entire state. He attributed the delay to modifications in the online payment mode by the Central government.
Last month, the state government communicated to districts that beneficiaries would receive pensions for two months in May. Behera expressed hope that disbursement would occur very soon. However, he confirmed that beneficiaries of the Madhubabu Pension Yojana, a state-sponsored program, have not faced any problems in receiving their monthly pensions.
