Centre to release 17 months backlog of pension scheme

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Aug 19

Social Welfare and co-operation, minister, Nemcha Kipgen today that Centre has agreed to release 17 months backlog for old age pension scheme under the National Social Assistance Programme.

The minister stated this during the release of consolidated annual report of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR), 2012-16 at new secretariat. She was replying to queries raised by the media persons during the report releasing function.

Nemcha Kipgen contended that the backlog was a result of the failure of the previous government to submit utilisation certificate in time.

However, with the constant effort of the department and its staff within three months span, the Centre has agreed to release the backlog.

Nemcha revealed that during her recent visit to the national capital, she met with the Union minister for Urban Development, Narendra Singh Tomar.

“During the meeting with the Union minister I requested the minister that the old aged people cannot be made to suffer due to past mistake of the government”, she said.

The new forms for the pension scheme will be submitted after the payment of the pending 17, after having collected the death census report, she continued before adding that district social welfare official have been asked to submit the census report by the end of August.

Kipgen further maintained that there will be no room for error this time as the list of beneficiaries will be uploaded online.

Speaking with regards to the annual reports of the MCPCR, she urged the commission to work harder so as the garner the trust of the people.

The annual report of the MCPCR was released by the minister in the presence of the commission’s chairman, S Saratkumar Sharma and its members.

MCPCR was established in the state on November 2, 2012 as per the directive of the Supreme Court, with the aimed to protect, promote and defend child rigts in the state.

The commission is an independent statutory body constituted as per the section 17 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. It consists of a chairperson, a member secretary and six members.