Indore News: Congress Protest Against Stopping Pensions, Free Rations To Beneficiaries

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Members of the city Congress committee and the Indore Municipal Corporation Congress council organized a protest on Thursday, demanding the restoration of pensions and free ration for the beneficiaries.

A large number of elderly citizens and families present during the protest said that the stopping of pension and free ration had pushed them into a crisis.

The protest, led by city Congress president Chintu Choukse, was held at the divisional commissioner’s office. Many elderly people, whose names were removed from the pension list, joined the protest along with the families whose free ration benefits had been stopped.

Anticipating the protest, police barricaded the office premises and deployed Vajra vehicles as a precaution. However, the Congress leaders did not jump the barricades during the protest.

Addressing the gathering through loudspeakers, Choukse alleged that the Indore Municipal Corporation and the district administration had arbitrarily removed many elderly citizens from the pension list and poor families from the free ration list without any prior notice.

He demanded that the pension amount, which was earlier Rs 600, be increased to Rs 1500 and restored without the condition of having a poverty line ration card, which many citizens were unable to obtain.

He further said that the government had stopped ration supplies for thousands of citizens over the past six months, pushing them into extreme hardships. If pensions and ration were not restored within two months, the Congress would intensify its agitation and block the city roads.

Indore News: IMC Mayor, Commissioner Lead ‘One Day–One Hour Shramdaan’ Drive

Choukse also reminded the government of its pre-assembly election promise under the Ladli Behna scheme, in which women were assured Rs 3,000 per month but were currently receiving only Rs 1,250. He demanded that the promised amount should be given.

Elderly citizens also addressed the gathering and shared their sufferings, with some women breaking down while narrating how the stopping of pension and ration had left them struggling for food.

Congress district president Vipin Wankhede, party leaders Deepu Yadav, Pintu Joshi, Raghu Parmar, Neelabh Shukla, Rajesh Choukse, Jay Hardia, Nakul Patodi, Aman Bazar, Sheikh Aleem, Gajendra Verma and several block presidents, councillors and party members were present during the protest.

City Women Congress president Sonali Mimrot and District Women Congress president Reeta Dangre submitted a memorandum, addressed to the chief minister, to an officer.