To
1. Hon’ble
Shri Najeeb Jung
Lieutenant
Governor of Delhi
Raj
Niwas, Raj Niwas Marg
Civil Lines, Delhi-110
054
2. The
Commissioner
East Delhi Municipal Corporation
419,Udyog Sadan
Patparganj Industrial Area
New
Delhi – 110 096
3. The
Commissioner
South Delhi Municipal Corporation
Dr. S.P.M. Civic Centre
Minto
Road, New Delhi-110 002
4. The
Commissioner
North Delhi Municipal Corporation
Dr. S.P.M. Civic Centre
Minto Road, New Delhi-110 002
December 31, 2014
Subject: MCDs forget to
pay pension to thousands of disabled/widows/old-aged persons
Sir
On December 25, 2014,
I, along with a social worker Ms. Sunita Chauhan visited the slums of Shashi
Garden, Patparganj, East Delhi as part of my constant initiative to spread
awareness on health, education and labour rights.
On interaction with the
locals, around 50 of them complained to me of non-receipt of pension which they
were earlier getting from the EDMC as disabled /widows/old-aged persons.
Several persons have not received pension for more than a year. In one case,
Ms. Kamlesh, a 70-year-old widow, r/o 429, Shastri Mohalla, Patparganj,
Delhi-91 has not received any pension since June 2014 and has therefore not
been able to pay her electricity-bills. Resultantly, her electricity-connection
has been disconnected and she is now living in the dark. Another old widow, Ms.
Chunia, aged about 65 years, r/o E-70-A, Gali No.-8, Shashi Garden, Mayur
Vihar, Phase-I has not received any pension since March 2013.
The destitute, whose
only means of survival was the pension, have thus been left in lurch by the
abrupt and arbitrary discontinuation of pension. Their monthly budgets have
been hit hard and many of them have been drawn to the brink of starvation. From
my sources, I have come to know that similar situation prevails across all the
three MCDs affecting thousands of the destitute.
It is not befitting of
a State-agency once having extended such promises to its poorest of the poor to
retract mid-way and to leave the poor high-and-dry. Such a conduct would only
foster discontent among the destitute who yield high expectations from the
State. Such inaction on the part of the State is not only arbitrary and
discriminatory but also violates the Fundamental Right to Life of the destitute
as guaranteed to them under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
You are, therefore,
earnestly requested to enquire into the matter and ensure immediate restoration
of pension to such destitute, as well as disbursal of arrears, bearing in mind
the interest of the poorest of the poor.
With regards
Ashok
Agarwal, Advocate
Advisor,
Social Jurist
M:
9811101923
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