[Indian Express]Supriya Sule stages protest outside Pune collector’s office over failure to provide benefit of central schemes to senior citizens and disabled people
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule Monday led a protest outside the Pune district collector's office against the delay in providing benefits of the Union government schemes to senior citizens and disabled people.
The Centre provides benefits to senior citizens through its scheme 'Vayoshri' and Assistance to Disabled Persons for purchase or fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP). "The Union social justice ministry had undertaken a camp in the Pune district to identify eligible senior citizens and disabled persons for providing the benefit under the scheme. More than one lakh senior citizens and 10,000 disabled people were found eligible for the scheme in the camp held from December 2021 to March 2022. It is now going to be 12 months but the benefits have not been given so far," Sule said.
The NCP MP said she has been following it up with the district administration and the Union government, and also raised the issue in the Parliament session but alleged there was no move for providing benefits of the schemes to the eligible needy in the district.
"We would seek justice from the court if the administration fails to decide on providing benefits to the needy people under the scheme. If the administration further fails to meet the demand then the NCP would take up a hunger strike," Sule said.
She alleged that the scheme was being properly implemented in selected districts of the state. "It should be clear that the Union government scheme is for the entire country and not for a political party," Sule said, adding that the Pune district was being deliberately ignored as there are two NCP members from Shirur and Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.
The Baramati Lok Sabha constituency is the only one in the country where disabled persons are provided with a certificate of disability at their home, Sule said, questioning if those eligible for benefits under the scheme are not getting them, then what was the use of the Union government schemes.
