Vijayawada: CPM state committee secretary V. Srinivas Rao on Thursday demanded that state government make arrangements for distributing social security pensions to old aged, disabled, widows, single women, handloom workers, fishermen, artisans and others at their homes on May 1. He deplored that last month, when temperatures had been high, disabled and elderly had been forced to queue up at village and ward secretariats for pensions, leading to deaths at some places. In particular, Srinivas Rao pointed out that in agency areas, secretariats are far away from residences. There are no transport facilities in such regions. People have to walk through forests or down the hills to collect their pensions and return. Reiterating his demand for delivery of pensions at doorsteps of the pensioners, the CPM leader said those distributing must carry sufficient cash in advance, so that pensions are paid to all.
