Our Correspondent
TINSUKIA: Though the State government launched the much-hyped Swahid Kushal Konwar Sarbojanin Briddha Pension Achoni (SKKSBPA) - a scheme to provide pension to every senior citizen of the State - its implementation has been grossly violated in Tinsukia district as the BJP MLA Sanjay Kishan is alleged to have politicalized the scheme flouting all standing norms much to the resentment of the public, Congress leaders and few BJP functionaries within the BJP-led Tinsukia Municipal Board (TMB).
In a press meet at Congress Bhavan here on Monday, Jayanta Kalita, president of Tinsukia District Congress Committee, alleged that though the application forms were received by the office of TMB for distribution to each ward on October 23, MLA Sanjay Kishan had taken away all the forms the next day, ostensibly to distribute them personally through his own party cadres.
“The beneficiary cannot submit the filled form unless it is signed by the MLA,” said Kalita, adding that such politicization would not only deprive a section of people but was against all ethics of a government scheme. While condemning such type of ill-motivated political mindset which would affect the successful implementation of the scheme, Kalita sought immediate intervention of the authority concerned.
Meanwhile, in a joint petition submitted by nine ward commissioners of TMB to the Chief Executive Officer of Tinsukia Zilla Parishad on October 25, they appealed to him to take necessary steps for distribution of application forms through TMB as the ward commissioners were directly accessible to poor beneficiaries.
Significantly, out of nine petitioners, three, including vice-chairman of the board, Rangagopal Dey belong to the BJP. Former chairman of TMB, Subhashis Bhattacharjee, who was also present in the press meet, said that the Tinsukia district administration ought to have reacted after receiving complaints of such irregularity but almost six days had passed and no action was initiated.