AGARTALA, Jan 5 (TIWN): Amid statewide slashing of social pension for around 50,000 of people, Tripura CM Biplab Deb continues his tall claims that no social pension was stopped in state except ghosts pensions. From Nihar Bala Devi to many old people's pensions were stopped and today TIWN has published how a physically handicapped person's pension was also stopped in ADC area. BJP had promised to allocate social pensions at Rs. 2000 but after coming to power, slashing of pensions have been started in full swing led mass resentments and statewide crisis.

CM Biplab Deb has however asked now the deprived people to arrange income certificates so get social pensions amid hundred years old, extreme poor, illiterate, physically challenged people are included there. Is it not just harassment to the people who are dying without social pensions ? 

On August 31, BJP MLA Sudip Barman raised question on the Govt's intension to reduce social pension beneficiaries names. In a letter written to Chief Minister Biplab Deb, Sudip Barman has stated, “I appreciate you for your decision to add 30,000 people’s names in the social pension scheme along with 3,92,198 beneficiaries".  

He added, "As per your announcement, already the Social Welfare dept has 49,272 beneficiaries as disqualified to get social pensions. By this time, as they could not appear before the SDPO offices, already 8,568 beneficiaries are said as disqualified to get allowances”. 

“Among the disqualified many are such who are truly poor but as they could not provide paper documents, they were cancelled from the list”, said Barman.

Barman said through village committee and other institutions these 49,272 beneficiaries area all set to be got out of the benefits. Sudip Barman had sought CM’s interference to save people’s lives from this cruel decision of the social welfare dept

However, amid ongoing criticism after many social pension beneficiaries names were slashed from the beneficiary list, on December 10 Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb on Thursday while addressing in Pragna Bhawan in a social welfare dept programme has said that the slashed names of the beneficiaries will be added again.

He has called for fresh applications with proper papers and said if papers are not existing, they must appeal for certificates to get social pensions from 15th December to 25th January. 

The Chief Minister however has blamed opposition CPI-M for slash of social pension beneficiaries names from the list saying, to detect fake names from the lists, Govt had to take such strict steps but in the middle many beneficiaries who could not show papers properly their names were slashed. 

Deb said that after verifications, their names will be added again but he has asked deprived beneficiaries to get the certificates in office or to make new certificates.

'Thieves Mothers Loud Voice.......', claims CM Biplab Deb after CPI-M raised question on Slashing of Social Pension in past few months.

He said, 29,246 beneficiaries will get back their allowances along the all "Pending" amounts. 

But after few days only, CM again changed his statement saying, "Nobody's pension was cut but only ghosts' phensions are cut".