Begumpet disabled resident struggles for pension

Scores of differently-abled from Begumpet division are denied pension under social security schemes of the State government due to red tapism. The civil supplies, revenue and health officials blame each other for the delay in sanction of allowance. The problem arose when officials insisted on a disability certificate issued by government hospitals. After the applicant submits the ration card, the medical staff examine the patient and issue a certificate. Strangely, the ration card issued by civil supplies officials at Paradise Circle was rejected by the staff of Gandhi Hospital as house numbers belong to Ranga Reddy district.

“The Gandhi Hospital referred us to the Kondapur Hospital as Begumpet division falls under the Ranga Reddy district. It is very difficult for a disabled like me to travel that far spending a huge sum on transportation,” says T Karunakar, a visually challenged from Shyamlal Building area. The 45-year-old, who has been denied pension for the last two and a half years, is making rounds to offices for resumption of pension.

As per norms, persons with more than 40 per cent disability are eligible for monthly pension. The applicants have to attend a camp organised at different hospitals for getting a disability certificate. It is issued after ascertaining the percentage of disability and the details are loaded into a specially designed application called Sadaram.

N Narsing Rao, a resident of Nalla Pochamma Basti, near Shyamlal Building, is drawing pension since 1984. Leprosy has taken a toll of his limbs. He used to draw an amount of Rs 30 which was later enhanced to Rs 75. He is residing in the area even before the Ranga Reddy district was carved out of Hyderabad district.

It is strange to note that the Revenue Division Officer of Secunderabad Circle approved transfer of his account number 7814/96 to Deputy Commissioner, Kukatpally Circle on July 20, 2007 as he ‘changed’ his residence to Ranga Reddy district. In fact he is living under the same roof for more than four decades.

Now, the Kondapur Hospital refuses to accept his applications as the ration card mentions Begumpet as part of Hyderabad district.

“It is a huge financial burden on the poor as they have to shell out more than Rs 500 for transporting the disabled to Kondapur and other hospitals in an auto and the attendant has to forgo a day’s wage,” said Hosey Tocher, a social activist.

The applicants go to different centres for treating different categories of handicap. They have to approach Kondapur Government Hospital for orthopedic disability certificate, Sarojini Eye Hospital for vision disability, and Vanastalipuram Area Hospital for hearing and speaking disability. Varalakshi, 38, can’t move out of her house. Her widowed mother, Rangamma, works as an assistant in a sweetmeat shop. The officials sanctioned widow pension to the mother but denied handicap pension to the daughter.

C Deeraj, who is pursuing Intermediate, was also denied Sadaram certificate due to analogy in his residential address. At the age of five, he developed complications in hip bone. More than 60 people from Shyamal Building, Tatachari Compound, Mayur Marg, Prakash Nagar, Matangi Nagar under the Begumpet division are hit by a software glitch and red-tapism.

By:Venu K Kodimela