500 pensioners across Bengaluru protest, seek reforms
BENGALURU: More than 500 people from various slums across Bengaluru staged a protest in front of the office of the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner on Tuesday seeking immediate reforms in the social security pension system. They said the cap on annual income of Rs 32,000 led to rejection of pension applications across the state. Senior citizens, widows, single women, persons with disabilities and members of Pension Parishad (a national-level platform working for universalisation of social security pensions), who depend on pensions for food, healthcare and childrens education, participated in the protest. Despite their eligibility, they have been denied pensions under schemes such as Indira Gandhi Pension, Sandhya Suraksha, Widow Pension, Disability Pension, Mythri, and Manaswini due to the income cap and administrative hurdles, they said. Swetha, 32, from Shastri Nagar, said, I lost my husband a few years ago, and I am eligible for widow pension. I have an eight-year-old child and my in-laws are very old and have health problems. As I have no ration card, officials at Banashankari revenue office have rejected my application. The protesters submitted a representation addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, to the deputy commissioner. They sought immediate revocation of the income cap, review of rejected applications, proper conduct of pension adalats, and regular grievance meetings.
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