Even as the ruling YSR Congress party and the Telugu Desam Party are indulging in a political slugfest over the Election Commission’s directions over keeping the village/ward volunteers away from distribution of pensions, the Andhra Pradesh state high court on Wednesday endorsed the EC decision.
After hearing the arguments over a public interest litigation petition challenging the EC directions, the high court wondered why there was a need for volunteers for distribution of pensions to the beneficiaries.
“Why should the pensions be distributed only through volunteers? Is Andhra Pradesh only state to distribute social security pensions? Every other state government does it. Nowhere else the volunteers’ system is there, yet pensions are being distributed,” the high court pointed out.
The high court said the EC had taken a decision not to involve volunteers in the distribution of beneficiaries only after taking into consideration the allegations against them that they are acting as ruling party agents.
The court pointed out that the EC had already instructed the state government to see that pensions are distributed at the government offices including village secretariats.
In case of those who are not in a position to go the offices, the village/ward secretariat staff should go their houses and distribute the pensions, it said.
The high court, thus, struck down the PIL and instructed the government to take all steps for the distribution of pensions without any hassles.
