'Unreasonable to Halt Social Security Pensions': Andhra Pradesh HC

Two petitions were filed in Andra Pradesh HC to challenge government’s arbitrary action

The government had arbitrarily stopped pension payments, to single women, the widowed, and the elderly. Two petitions were filed in the Court that challenged the government’s directives. 

The first petition dealt with around 170 persons, whose pensions were discontinued. These were mostly single/widowed women from families below the poverty line (BPL). However, there was no official record of their marriages or their separation or the death of their spouses because village caste elders had declared these marriages void.[WU1]

The second petition represented the concerns of five senior citizens (also belonging to BPL families) whose old-age benefits were stopped. The petitioners’   in both petitions had not been receiving benefits since September 2019. They were receiving benefits under the YSR Pension Kanuka, previously called the NTR Bharosa, and before that, the Indiramma Programme.

State defends its stance

The State defended its stance by asserting that the petitioners in the first plea were not single/widowed as they claimed and hence could not avail the government’s benefits. For the second petition, the State mentioned that the five senior citizens were not entitled to assistance since some of their children were salaried government employees and others were land owners. 

Andhra Pradesh HC finds it unreasonable to discontinue social security payments

The Court declared the discontinuance of payments as unreasonable and also highlighted the heavy government expenditure on other projects and festivities. The Court also stated that there is a need for sensitivity when handling matters involving social assistance.

Justice Battu Devanand stated:

“…crores of public money was spent for different activities in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Did any person in the state ask the State government to spend thousand crores of rupees for organizing “GODAVARI AND KRISHNA PUSHKARALU?”. Did any Christian ask for “CHRISTMAS KANUKALU?”. Did any Muslim request for “RAMJAN THOFA?” But, thousands of crores of rupees were spent for these activities at the cost of public exchequer."

The Court also gave directions to the government to allow a beneficiary whose benefits were being cancelled to defend their claims before the Gram Sabha.