(Image source from: atalpensionyojana.co.in)

The AP high court observed that stopping pensions for widows and single women is unreasonable.

The AP high court lashed out at the state government for stopping pensions for women without any prior procedure.

The top court observed that stopping of pensions for widows and single women is unreasonable when the government is spending thousands of crores on welfare schemes.

Revoking the petitions filed by 175 petitioners from Srikakulam district, the high court ordered the government to pay pensions from the day they were stopped till the appropriate orders are passed by the respective authorities.

Justice Battu observed that crores of money is being spent for welfare schemes on different activities like Krishna Godavari pushkaralu, Christmas kanukalu, Ramzan Thofa which no one asked for but are being spent in the name of welfare.

He also noted that thousands of crores are spent on various programs including painting government offices with the political party's colors.

The Judge noted the all the money being spent for such programs belong to the public and it must be spent wisely for the people.

A counter affidavit by the government stated that the petitioners were not eligible for the pensions as they wrongly claimed themselves to be widows and single women.

In response, the court observed that no women in this country would represent herself as a widow while her husband is alive and even if she did so its because of her poor economic condition. Their problems need to be resolved.

The high court also noticed that all these women were selected for the pension scheme by the grama sabha and if the government claims them to be fake they have to approach the grama sabha again which will serve notices to these women.

By Gayatri Yellayi