Bhubaneswar, June 19: Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has written a strongly worded letter to Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, expressing serious concern over the reported non-payment of pensions to nearly 18 lakh beneficiaries across Odisha for the past three months.

The affected beneficiaries include elderly citizens, widows and persons with disabilities, many of whom depend entirely on social security pensions for their livelihood and daily expenses. Patnaik said the prolonged delay has caused immense hardship and exposed vulnerable sections of society to severe distress.

In his letter, the former Chief Minister referred to reports of the death of Sabitri Dora of Beguniapada in Ganjam district, allegedly after being deprived of pension benefits. He described the situation as alarming and unacceptable in a welfare-oriented state.

Patnaik attributed the delay to software-related issues and termed it a case of grave administrative negligence. He urged the state government to immediately resolve the problem and ensure timely disbursement of pensions.

Highlighting his government’s 24-year record, Patnaik noted that pensions were distributed regularly on the 15th of every month under the ‘Jan Seva Diwas’ initiative through Gram Panchayats, with home delivery arrangements for those unable to attend. He argued that the present crisis underscores the importance of the earlier citizen-centric system and called for urgent corrective measures.

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