The ruling YSRCP and the TDP engaged in a war of words over who is to blame for the delay in pension payments to senior citizens in Andhra Pradesh.
The background
The distribution of pensions to senior citizens in Andhra Pradesh was disrupted following a directive from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the state government. The directive, issued in the wake of the model code of conduct ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, has barred the village and ward volunteers from distributing cash benefits, including pensions, to eligible beneficiaries.
Acting on a petition filed by Citizens for Democracy, a non-governmental organization, and reports in the media suggesting that the village and ward volunteers were acting as agents of the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the ECI decided to prevent any misuse of the volunteer system for political gains. The directive has led to a halt in the disbursement of pensions, which was scheduled to take place on April 1.
The issue takes a political turn
The situation has ignited a fierce political battle in the state, with the ruling YSRCP and the opposition TDP trading accusations. The YSRCP has alleged that the TDP is using the ECI’s directive to its advantage, thereby conspiring to deny the disbursement of pensions to the elderly. Conversely, the TDP has argued that the government should have had a contingency plan in place to ensure the smooth distribution of pensions.
Amid the political blame game, thousands of beneficiaries have been left in the lurch, with many queuing up in front of their respective village and ward secretariats, hoping to receive their pensions.
Chandrababu writes to the CEC
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, TDP President Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the YSRCP government is delaying the payments to beneficiaries for its political gain. He said there are about 15000 village/ward secretariats and each of them has around ten employees, and they could deliver payments at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries, without any involvement from the volunteers.