Antodaya cards swapped for old age pension in Nuapada

The Pioneer, June 19, 2009
Pradeep Baisakh | Bhubaneswar

The old people of Sunabeda panchayat under Komana block in Nuapada district have virtually been pushed into a state of starvation. Placed in a protected area, which is characterised by stringent forest laws that limits the livelihood options of the poor tribals, the public distribution system (PDS) seems to be serving as a lifeline for them.

But unfortunately, in this panchayat there are about sixty cases where the cards of old people — mostly from the Bhunjia community, a primitive tribal group (PTG), and from the Paharia community, a backward class but no less backward than any primitive tribal group — under Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) have been snatched away while they were given the old age pension by the panchayat office in February 2008.

“This is gross violation of the Supreme Court’s special order (interim order passed on May 2, 2003, which had directed the Government of India to place all the PTGs under the (AAY) category. It should be investigated and settled by the appropriate authorities,” said advisor to the Supreme Court Commission on Right to Food Rajkishor Mishra.

Under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAP), old people of and above 65 years of age are provided with a sum of Rs 200 per month, whereas under the Antodaya scheme the poorest of poor people get 35 kg rice per month at the rate of Rs 2 a kg. While under the rules an old person is entitled to getting both, present Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) Kamal Singh Majhi says that as per the orders from the SDM and BDO offices the then PEO had given the option of choosing one among these two to the people.

The people then preferred the old age pension scheme as it provides hard cash and surrendered their Antodaya cards.

This has badly affected the food security of senior and vulnerable citizens. Dhansingh Majji of Junapani village in the panchayat also surrendered his Antodaya card in favour of pension, but now he does not get two-time good meal per day.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Nuapada Gurucharan Prasad admitted that there is no such rule that prevents a person to get old age pension after he has got the Antodaya card. ADM and Collector-in-charge Amarendra Rath assured to look into the matter and correct the mistakes, if done.

In the tribal areas, after marriage the sons stay in separate families. The PDS and old age pension schemes have been complementary to each other and assume a lot more significance in the protected areas. If a family of old people avails both the schemes, it can get 35 kg of rice for Rs 70 and the rest Rs 130 may very well be spent on purchasing ration and vegetables. Though both together are insufficient for a two times’ good diet a day for a full month, it may at least keep off starvation.

“This is quite injustice on part of administration to befool people in this remote area, taking advantage of their lack of awareness on the schemes. This case has gone unnoticed for last more than a year. It is only after our intervention that the matter has come to limelight,” said Sameet Panda, who works with the advisor’s office.