Plight of the old pensioners

OLD pensioners are senior citizens of the country. Some of them retired 10 or 20 years ago while some have no reliable and dependable income earners in their families. The present government increased their pension amount by almost 100 per cent. But unfortunately it is still not enough to cover the costs of daily necessities at prevailing market prices. The pension amount that they receive is actually very negligible and it is difficult for them to make ends meet. Considering the above, enhancing the pension rate is essential.

The drawing process of pension amount is also cumbersome and should be simplified. The government is implementing various social safety programmes under which the benefit directly goes either to the mobile account or respective bank account of the beneficiary. The retired pensioners under Defence Ministry also receive their pension amounts through bank accounts. But the system followed for the old pensioners is back dated and time consuming. They have to submit their pension books early in the morning at their designated accounts offices and after scrutiny, the books are sent to treasury bank where the pensioners have to wait in a long queue to receive payment. If the pension benefits are directly deposited to the bank accounts of the pensioners instead of the traditional book keeping system, they will be relieved of the difficulties they have to go through at present. We sincerely hope that the government will look into the matter sympathetically and enhance the pension amount of the old pensioners and make the process of drawing pensions easier by depositing the same in their respective bank accounts.

Md. Zillur Rahaman

Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd

Lalmohan Branch, Bhola