New Delhi: The Centre has announced The Indira Gandhi National Old age pension scheme in the present vote-on-account.
However, the upper age limit of 64 years defies reason and the opposition has been demanding that this limit must be lowered.
It's spring in the garden but winter in the heart. Sixty-three-year-old Mayaben is widowed, alone and absolutely dependent on charity.
The newly announced National Widow's pension promises her 200 rupees a month but only till she is 64 years of age. If she lives to be 65 or more, she doesn't qualify.
In fact, the widow's pension is one of the rare new schemes announced in the vote on account, significantly coming just ahead of election.
However, definition of who is poor enough, old enough, destitute enough to qualify have always been problematic and defining the boundaries of the programme, controversial.
Regional Director Helpage India Mathew Cherian says, "There seems to be no logic behind this. This will only serve to exclude the widows especially "
Many states already have a widow's pension without any upper age limit. In fact, the problems that widows face whether young or old is widely recognized. So why did the Central government feel the need for an upper age limit?
Minister of Rural Affairs Raghuvansh Prasad says, “If they are beyond 64 years of age they qualify for the old age pension. "
If you are old and widowed and disabled, you qualify for three social security schemes of the government but according to the rules you get only one. There seems to be no reason why there should be an upper age limit.
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