The distribution of social security pensions among the beneficiaries at their doorsteps has come to a halt with the Election Commission of India issued clear instructions to the state government not to involve the village volunteers, following a complaint from an NGO – Citizens for Democracy, headed by former state election commissioner Nimmgadda Ramesh Kumar.
This has pushed the Telugu Desam Party in a tight spot, as the YSR Congress party alleged that it was the TDP which was the brain behind Nimmagadda in filing the complaint against volunteers and get the distribution of pensions stopped.
Though the EC asked the authorities to make alternative arrangements for distribution of pensions among the beneficiaries through other government machinery, the village secretariat employees have thrown up their hands, allegedly at the behest of the YSRCP, so as to embarrass the TDP.
As a result, thousands of old people and disabled people had to stand in queues in front of the village secretariat offices braving scorching summer to get their pensions. But till afternoon, the distribution of pensions did not begin even on Wednesday.
Obviously, the development caused a huge negative impact on the TDP, as the beneficiaries are blaming it for the present sorry state of affairs.
Though TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and his party leaders are demanding that the pensions have to be distributed door-to-door, they are forced to face the heat of the pensioners.
Now, Naidu has started demanding that the volunteers be involved in the distribution of pensions door to door.
He says his party had never opposed the volunteers’ system but was only questioning their open canvassing for the YSRCP.
The YSRCP is now thanking Naidu for understanding the importance of volunteers and village secretariats at least now.
“The Jagan Mohan Reddy government has created a system to help the old people get their pensions at their doorsteps. But the TDP leaders have been criticising the system for political gains. We are thankful to Naidu for acknowledging the importance of volunteers,” the party said on its official social media handle.
The YSRC even went to the extent of describing Naidu as the star campaigner for the village volunteers’ system and village secretariats.
“It doesn’t matter if the other TDP leaders agree with it or not,” the ruling party said.
