Hiked pension triggers huge demand for disabled certificates

 ADILABAD: The Rs 1,000 hike in pension for differently-abled persons from Rs 3,016 to Rs 4,016 under the Aasara Pensions scheme by the state government has triggered a huge spurt in the requests for disabled certificates across the state.

Political leaders of parties especially the ruling BRS are under pressure from the applicants to provide them with disabled certificates to get pensions ahead of the Assembly elections.

BRS leaders are considering sanctioning pensions for eligible differently-abled and others under Aasara Pensions would turn out as a vote bank for them.

Those who are mentally unsound, hearing impaired, blind or partially blind are also eligible to get the pension under the differently-abled persons category. The minimum eligibility percentage is 51 for hearing-impaired to get a pension. The number of disabled persons, who applied for certificates is high among others.    

According to reliable sources, as many as 25,000 applications for new and renewal of disabled certificates have been pending at the state level since the recent hike in the pension. The certificates are to be issued by the doctors at Saderam camps after applying through Mee Seva. A date will be given to attend for doctor’s screening and assessment of the disability at RIMS, Adilabad.

One Md Aiyazoddin, 6, of Dahegaon village of Bela mandal, has been running from pillar to post to get his disability certificate renewed as he lost his pension since the disability percentage was reduced to below 40 per cent when he applied for renewal. His parents appealed to the officials to do justice to the boy by through an inquiry.   

There are strong allegations that MLAs and leaders are mounting pressure on doctors to issue the certificates with a minimum of 40 per cent disability and renew the old certificates as well.

Some applicants are approaching Osmania Medical Colleges, where their applications are kept pending, are applying afresh and lobbying to get the certificates with eligible percentages for pension.  

Doctors issue permanent disability certificates to those having 100 per cent disability and such persons need not renew their certificates.

However, they issue disability certificates for one to three years for those injured in accidents with a chance of getting cured of their disability over a period of time after treatment.

The issuance of Aasara Pensions is being looking after by DRDA officials. But, politicians are resorting to tampering with the data with deletions and additions in the eligible list through fraudulent means for political gains.

Meanwhile, brokers are lining their pockets by collecting huge money from applicants promising them of providing the eligible percentage of disability to get a pension. It is learnt that they are collecting Rs 5,000- Rs 10,000 from each applicant and ‘managing’ the computer operators too to get the required percentage.

On the other hand, opposition leaders alleged that the ruling party leaders were deleting the names of pensioners who, they thought, were against their party to benefit in the elections.