By Ganesh Nadar, IANS
Chennai : In social support seemingly gone awry, the Tamil Nadu government gives poor widows a pension of Rs. 400 a month but in exchange takes away their ration cards.
The widow is thus deprived of the 20 kg of subsidised rice a month that others with a ration card get. Instead, she gets four kg rice free. But this does not last many days, nor does the Rs. 400, in today’s high prices.
A major hitch with the widow pension is that it is only meant for those above 35 years. With most of the poor widows being in their early 20s when they lose their husbands to HIV, the pension does not benefit many.
However, the district collector is entitled to overlook the age factor.
Another hindrance is that a widow has to apply to the village administrative officer for pension within six months of her husband’s death. For the next six months she has to apply to the district collector, after which the revenue department refuses to accept any applications.
But Tirunelveli district collector G. Prakash told IANS: “There is no time bar. The collector is empowered to give pension whenever they apply.”
Tirunelveli is a classic case. It has hundreds of HIV affected widows who have not received pension, enquiries with the HIV positive people’s network in the district revealed.
The network director in Tirunelveli, G. Kumar has promised to hand over the list of such widows, complete with all documents, to the collector within a week.
Prakash has promised to do the needful at his earliest. Asked about the confiscation of ration cards, the collector said that he could not do anything as it was government policy.
In contrast, Sri Lankan Tamilians lodged in 103 camps in the state get more amenities from the government. The head of the family gets Rs. 400, the next family member gets Rs. 200 while every child gets Rs. 90 a month. Each family is also given rice at a mere 57 paise a kg.
“We are not suggesting that the government stop this dole. All we are saying is that we widows should not be discriminated against,” said Jasinda, a 27-year-old HIV positive widow with two small children.
“Apart from 20 kg rice, the ration card is also proof of address. It also gives us subsidised sugar, kerosene, new clothes for Pongal and Diwali, a free colour TV set and a free gas stove,” said Maragatham, a young widow with one daughter.
“If all the HIV affected widows get pension in Tirunelveli district, it will go a long way in helping them. Many are also infected with the deadly virus,” said a villager, adding, “Hope the collector will bring light into their darkened lives without snatching away their ration cards.”