Agar: Six senior citizens wrongly declared ‘dead’ by govt get pension

Agar (Madhya Pradesh): In a much needed breather to the six “alive” senior citizens who were declared ‘dead’ in the government records, Agar district administration resumed their senior citizen pension. 

Earlier, Dawarji, Durga Bai, Abida, Jinendra, Rukhma Bai and Kamla Bai were declared dead in the government records after a survey was conducted by the municipality in 2021 at all the 23 wards here in the town. In these conditions, they have been denied the old-age pension for the last eight months. 

Meanwhile, Free Press has prominently raised the issue on October 3 highlighting how six senior citizens who are in their 60s and 70s are struggling to prove to officials that they are indeed alive.

All the senior citizens also met the district collector Avdesh Sharma on the occasion of International Day for Older Persons and narrated their plight. Taking cognisance in the matter, district collector Sharma ordered the CMO of the municipality to take action in the matter. 

CMO Pawan Kumar took action and sent the cases of 6 people to the Social Justice Department, Bhopal and then according to the orders, senior citizen pension of the six people has been reinstated. 

Nilesh Patel, Agar municipality chairman confirmed the development saying that efforts are being made to restore their pension by conducting a complete survey of the old people whose pension has stopped, out of which the pension of 6 people has been approved now.