Agartala, May 13 (PTI): The Tripura government today said that social security pensions were not temporarily suspended and the process, to provide pensions to the beneficiaries, has been initiated.
An official statement issued by the government said that the Social Welfare and Social Education Department has clarified that reports of stopping social security pensions were far from true.
The payment file for 4.19 lakh beneficiaries of various social security pensions provided by the state and central governments in Tripura was issued on May 11, the statement said.
Earlier on March 14, a memo issued by the additional secretary of the Social Welfare and Social Education Department said, "It has been decided by the council of ministers in its meeting held on 10th March, 2018 that the process for grant of social pension shall be reviewed and pending such review, all the cases pending for sanction of social pension shall be kept in abeyance."
However, on Sunday, the government statement said that the payment file of pension benefits, which was issued on May 11, would clear pension dues for the month of April.
The social security benefits include destitute women's pension, old-age pension, pension scheme for differently-abled people, informal sector workers and others.
Recently, the Opposition Congress and the CPI(M) had criticised the government, alleging that it was a move by the state government to exclude Opposition supporters from getting government benefits.
Pradesh Congress vice-president Tapas De said that the government's statement was a 'victory' for his party.
"This statement is a victory for our party. However, the state government should announce Rs 2,000 as revised amount for all social security pensions as promised in the BJP's vision document before the Assembly polls," De said.
