DMK, AIADMK clash over delay in pension payment

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Assembly witnessed  pandemonium after the DMK took on its arch rival, the AIADMK, over the issue of delay  in disbursement of old age pension.The issue got raked  up when  A M H Nazeem (DMK) raised objection to Speaker V Sabapathy permitting Om Sakthi Segar (AIADMK)  to  raise the  issue of ‘delay’ in disbursement pension during Zero Hour without an invitation from the Speaker.Om Sakthi Segar said that more than two lakh beneficiaries have not been disbursed their pension which was due on September 4 and even  till today(September 13) it had not been distributed. He said that several people dependent on the pension were reeling in hunger and demanded that the chief minister take appropriate action to provide them the assistance. Chief Minister N Rangasamy got up and replied that the amount was distributed on Tuesday.  As soon as Chief Minister’s reply was over Nazeem rose to ask whether it was a proper procedure to let a member air his complaint on his own without the formal invitation from the Chair as had been the convention and before announcement of commencement of zero hour.AIADMK legislators protested his intervention and  said that during the Zero Hour issues could be raised and only those having feeling for people would raise it. Nazeem said he too was of the view that the monthly assistance should be available on time to the aged and others. However, he maintained that  the  procedure to raise an issue should be according to prescribed conventions and objected to a member suddenly raising  the issue. He demanded an answer from the Speaker under what rules it was permitted. This led to a heated exchange between the DMK and AIADMK members.Opposition leader V Vaithilingam also questioned the sudden raising of the issue by AIADMK and objected to it.Speaker Sabapathy said,“we cannot rigidly adhere to procedural formalities and certain flexibility is inevitable,” adding that Segar could have waited for his turn during zero hour.However, the exchange continued with members questioning the feelings of members for people’s issues.Intervention of Welfare Minister P Rajavelu calmed the situation down.  He said that Nazeem had brought to his notice the issue a couple of days ago and he had arranged for the funds for payment of the assistance.