Agartala, January 4 (TIWN): Elderly persons and physically handicapped persons should get direct benefit of social allowances, said Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in a meeting of the Social Welfare and Social Education Department yesterday.

Mr. Sarkar also informed that the state government is planning to provide social allowances directly to those persons who have attained the age over 70 and 100 percent disabled persons. As it is quite difficult for them to travel and obtained the allowances, the state government will appoint CDPO to observe this work.

 Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister further said that there are many elderly persons and disabled persons who find it difficult to reach the bank and get their allowances. For instance, Mr. Sarkar had pointed out that recently, in Andhra Pradesh, one aged woman went to attain her allowances and lost her life due to stampede. To avoid such instances, these sections of people should be given proper benefit.

 At the same time it was also instructed to the respective officials to calculate the total number of beneficiaries under this social allowance facility. For this, every Gram Panchayats and Nagar Panchayats should hold an enquiry and delivered the allowances through the hands of CDPO. But the benefit should only be provided only to the persons who fall under these criteria.

Elaborating the planning of the government, CM also pointed out that from this year government was launching a new scheme known as Physical Verification for the persons who have obtained the benefits of the 23 social allowances. For this He had instructed the respective department to complete the work within February 7. Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Bijita Nath, Chief Secretary G.K.Rao, Secretary Asutosh Jindal and Director of the Department also attended the meeting.

 It is to be mentioned here that recently in the 23 social allowances, 2, 69,706 persons were obtaining their benefit. 15, 081 persons have applied newly and the state government recommended them for the allowances. Among them 1367 persons are physically handicapped, 257 persons are rickshaw pullers, 7515 persons under Child Welfare allowance and so on.