Remove discrepancy in pension, demands senior citizens’ body

The Confederation of Senior Citizens Association of Delhi has asked Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to remove the discrepancies in the pension amounts for physically-challenged people after they attain the age of 55 years.

The Confederation of Senior Citizens Association of Delhi has asked Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to remove the discrepancies in the pension amounts for physically-challenged people after they attain the age of 55 years.

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After its third annual conference on Thursday, the confederation, an umbrella organisation of seniors representing 11 lakh elderly people, submitted a charter of demands to Dikshit.

The charter said: "Under the Delhi government schemes, a physically-challenged person gets a welfare pension of R1,500 till the age of 55 years. However, after he/she turns 69, the person is eligible for Rs 1,000 only as old age pension. These people then start getting R1,500 again once they turn 70."

"How do you explain this difference? One gets R500 less after age of 55, when one needs a rise in the remuneration," said JR Gupta, the confederation chairperson.

There are nearly four lakh people who receive old age pension while about 35,000 receive pensions for being physically challenged.

Other demands in the charter included formation of a Delhi State Commission for senior citizens and old age homes in each of 11 districts of Delhi as against the mere two currently.

S Bappoo, social security minister of Mauritius, was the chief guest at the event and narrated in detail the various schemes her country had put in place for the benefit of the elderly.