Bhubaneswar: In a poignant reminder of the human cost behind technical glitches, former Odisha Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Shri Naveen Patnaik has written an urgent letter to Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, highlighting the severe distress of nearly 18 lakh vulnerable citizens who have been left without their pensions for three consecutive months.
The affected individuals, including elderly citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities, rely heavily on these monthly disbursements for their basic survival. In his letter, Shri Patnaik expressed deep anguish, noting that the prolonged delay has exposed these communities to deprivation and the risk of starvation. He pointed to the tragic case of Shrimati Sabitri Dora from Beguniapada, Ganjam, who reportedly lost her life after being deprived of her vital pension benefits.
According to the letter, the systemic breakdown is reportedly due to a software-related issue. Shri Patnaik strongly criticized this justification, stating that the rights of the state’s most vulnerable citizens cannot be left at the mercy of technological failures and describing the situation as grave negligence.
Reflecting on his 24 years in government, Shri Patnaik recalled how pensions were previously delivered reliably on the 15th of every month, a day observed as Jan Seva Diwas. The former model prioritized human dignity and transparency by distributing funds directly at the Gram Panchayat level or right to the doorsteps of those unable to travel. He noted that his administration had deliberately resisted shifting entirely to a bank-based system to avoid exactly this type of digital exclusion and maintain personal accountability.
Urging the current administration to act swiftly on humanitarian grounds, LOP Shri Patnaik called on Chief Minister Shri Majhi to immediately release all pending pension payments through manual disbursement. He also demanded that the government fix accountability for this lapse to ensure that the rights and dignity of Odisha’s weakest citizens are never compromised again.