Chandigarh,
Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President Rao Narendra Singh has strongly condemned the state government’s decision to determine eligibility for old-age pension on the basis of children’s income. He termed it a completely insensitive, anti-people and anti-elderly policy that strikes at the dignity of senior citizens.
Rao Narendra Singh said,
“Old-age pension is not a government’s charity, but a constitutional and moral right of the elderly. This scheme was introduced to ensure respect and a life of dignity for senior citizens. Today, the government is trying to stop or reduce parents’ pension on the basis of their children’s income—this is not only inhuman, but also a symbol of social injustice, erosion of family values, and an insult to the elderly.”
He further said that in the present times, considering an annual income of ₹3–4 lakh as a sign of prosperity is laughable. When inflation is soaring, medical expenses are burdensome, and it has become difficult to meet basic household needs, depriving even such families of pension exposes the government’s anti-people mindset.
The Pradesh Congress President alleged that the government is deliberately implementing such harsh, impractical and arbitrary criteria so that thousands and lakhs of elderly people can be deprived of this right. This policy, instead of making senior citizens self-reliant, forces them to depend on their children, whereas the reality is that many elderly people live alone, their children live far away, or family support is unavailable.
Rao Narendra Singh has demanded that the Haryana government immediately withdraw this anti-people condition and ensure old-age pension for all eligible senior citizens without any discrimination, so that their dignity and rights are protected.
He clearly warned that if the government does not roll back this decision, the Haryana Congress will launch an agitation at every level—from the streets to the Assembly—to protect the respect, dignity and rights of the elderly. The party will stand shoulder to shoulder with senior citizens in this fight.
