New Delhi, June 19: Biju Janata Dal chief and Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Friday wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressing anguish over the non payment of pensions for the last three months saying these pensioners comprise most vulnerable sections of the society.
In his letter, the former Chief Minister said, “I write with a sense of deep concern and anguish over the non-payment of pensions for the last three months to nearly 18 lakh beneficiaries across Odisha. These pensioners comprise the most vulnerable sections of our society-elderly citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities-most of whom depend entirely on this pension for their daily survival.”
He said that the “denial of this vital support for three consecutive months has exposed our most vulnerable citizens to severe distress, deprivation, and even the risk of starvation”.
“There are reports that Sabitri Dora of Beguniapada, Ganjam lost her life after being deprived of her pension benefits. Such a situation is unacceptable in a state committed to protecting its weakest citizens,” he rued.
He also said that shat is even more shocking is that this prolonged delay has reportedly occurred due to a “software-related issue”.
“This reflects grave negligence and an abdication of the Government’s basic responsibility. Peoples’ rights cannot be left at the mercy of technological failures,” the BJD leader said.
He also highlighted that how the past 24 years, the BJD government ensured that pensions were distributed regularly on the 15th of every month, observed as “Jan Seva Diwas.”
“Beneficiaries received their pensions at the Gram Panchayat level in a transparent and humane manner. In cases where pensioners were unable to attend, officials ensured that the pension amount was delivered directly to their homes,” Patnaik highlighted.
He also said that this citizen-centric model earned widespread appreciation and was even commended by the Supreme Court.
“We consistently resisted pressure to shift entirely to the bank-based pension disbursement system because our model ensured timely delivery, personal accountability, and dignity for beneficiaries” he said.
Taking a pot shot at the BJP government in the state, the former Chief Minister said, “The current crisis demonstrates the wisdom of that approach. The stoppage of pensions for three months is not merely a procedural lapse; it represents a serious failure of governance.”
“I therefore urge you to immediately release all pending pension payments through manual disbursement and ensure that such a situation never recurs. The Government must also fix accountability for this lapse and reassure pensioners that their rights will not be compromised in the future,” he demanded.