The opposition in Andhra Pradesh (AP) has approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking direction to the state government to deliver old age pensions at the door steps of pensioners instead of calling them to Village and Ward Secretariats to collect the same. TDP, BJP and Jana Sena Party leaders met the NHRC chairman in Delhi, alleging that 33 people died when they went to collect their pensions in the extreme summer heat.
Former TDP Rajya Sabha MP K Ravindra Kumar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Andhra minority cell president Shaik Baji and JSP leader Dr Daneti Sridhar approached the NHRC, and submitted a representation to the NHRC seeking action over the alleged deaths of old age pensioners in Andhra Pradesh.
In the run up to the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Andhra, the Election Commission had directed the state Chief Electoral Officer to keep state-appointed Village Volunteers away from the distribution of pensions and other cash benefits. The ECI had asked the YSR Congress Party-led government to make alternate arrangements as the election Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in place.
The opposition leaders stated that the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) had in response asked its field officials to call pensioners to the Village/Ward Secretariats instead to collect their pensions. The TDP, BJP and JSP leaders stated that some of the secretariats are about four to five kilometres away from pensioners, who will face hardships to travel so far in the heat.
”However, or gaining mileage by blaming TDP, BJP and Janasena, the decision of the ECI is being attributed to us though the decision was taken by the ECI in view of the MCC (Model Code of Conduct),” stated the representation. The TDP and Jana Sena are both part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, and are contesting the elections in Andhra together as well.
The leaders alleged that the state government did not ensure enough amenities for the pensioners who were coming to collect their pensions. “This unnecessary movement of elderly citizens in the hot sun led to man of them suffering sunstroke,” they said in the letter to the NHRC, and claimed that so far 33 people have died in Andhra.
They appealed to the NHRC to take cognisance of the matter and order a high-level inquiry into the alleged human rights violations in Andhra Pradesh over the issue.
