Retired Kalimpong civic staff face pension problems

SNS, SILIGURI/DARJEELING, 13 JUNE 2020: Retired employees of the Kalimpong Municipality are facing a financial crisis after the civic body autborities failed to pay them their pension for the past few months due to the Covid -19 pandemic and the lockdown, it is being alleged. Kali mpong was the first town and district in north Bengal where Covid-19 claimed the life of a woman, who had returned from Chennai. As a result, the Hill town came under a strict lockdown since the last week of March.

Official sources said the Kalimpong Municipality has failed to raise its own funds by mobilizing its resources "The civic body authorities have also failed to manage funds for pensioners from the government's grants," the sources said.

"Pensioners in the Kalimpong Municipality area are upset after they failed to manage their financial problems as the civic body authorities could not send the pay order, owing to lack of its own funds." they added.

According to sources, the matter came to light when new pension holders, who have received their PPO (Pension Payment Order) in early 2020, returned from the banks empty handed.

When contacted, Kalimpong Municipality chairman Ravi Pradhan said. "The pension is disbursed from the amount sent by the government. with some of the amount in it from taxes collected by the Municipality. We have not received the amount from the department, which was supposed to come in April, with funds getting stuck due to the Covid pandemic"" 

We were paying the pension regularly in advance till the month of April, but with no funds coming from the govemment, we have not been able to do so presently. However, we have written to the government on this matter." Mr Pradhan added.