At 65, farmer toils for pension

TUMKUR: Lakshman Gowda is battling for some independence. At 65, this disabled farmer is being made to run from pillar to post to get his disabled pension sanctioned. For the past two years, Gowda, from Kanathur village of Tumkur, has been visiting the taluk office to get his disabled pension sanctioned.
It was around six years ago that Gowda became disabled, and now has to depend on his family for each little task.Apart from physical dependency, it is financial dependency which he finds humiliating.
Around two years ago, he decided to apply for disability pension, and ever since, he has been visiting the taluk office, but in vain. Gowda, who finds it impossible to travel by bus, depends on private transport, and each trip to the taluk office burns a hole in his pocket. By now, he has run up huge costs, as he is shunted from one officer to another. None of the babus are free to take up his case.
His son, Ramesh, is his right hand. He takes his father every Wednesday to the taluk office. "It is getting extremely frustrating. The officers are very callous, they don't even allow our vehicle inside the gate." Gowda says it is humiliating to depend on Ramesh for all his requirements. "If my monthly pension is sanctioned, it will take care of my medical expenses, at least. But it looks like my pension will not be sanctioned when I am alive."
According to sources, a scandal had broken out a few months ago on sanctioning disabled pension, in Turuvekere of Tumkur. Some ineligible persons had also been included in the list of beneficiaries. Ever since, officials are wary of sanctioning pension.
Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had taken the general secretary of the taluk Disabled Welfare Forum to task, during his recent visit to Turuvekere, for having cancelled disabled pension sanctioned to some beneficiaries.