Srinagar, July 11: In a strongly worded statement issued today, Awami National Conference Senior Vice President Muzzafar Shah has called upon Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to immediately rescind a recent order by the Finance Department.
The order in question mandates personal appearances by retired senior citizens for pension verification, a move Shah has termed “highly condemnable and highly disrespectful.”
In a statement, Shah said the contentious directive, released by the Finance Department of Jammu & Kashmir, stipulates that all retired senior citizens, regardless of age, health condition, or personal circumstances, must present themselves in person before the Treasury Officer.
Shah did not mince words in his criticism of the order while saying that this physical verification process is no less than a humiliation for old and feeble pensioners to continue receiving their rightful benefits.
“This is an inhumane directive that speaks volumes about the inefficiency of the Department and its ignorance of modern technological tools. In this digital age there exist numerous technological solutions and digital devices capable of verifying an individual’s existence and activities without necessitating physical appearances,” he said.
