Taking strong objection to Jagan led AP government’s decision to defer 50 per cent pension of retired employees for the month of March, TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu demanded that the government pay full monthly pension to the retired state government employees.

In a letter to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naidu said the old suffer from various medical complications and also the most vulnerable group who could be easily affected by the corona virus. “In view of this, the government should pay 100 per cent monthly pension and any deferment will impact their ability to pay for their medical expenses. The government should accord top priority to this and ensure immediate disbursal of pension to retired employees.”

Furthermore, the former CM said pension is an entitlement and not a favour or gift bestowed on the retired employees. “It is a constitutional violation. A ‘property’ cannot be deferred without the due process of law under Article 300A of the Constitution. The government is also not empowered under any provision of the Epidemic Diseases Act or the Disaster Management Act or any regulation framed under the Epidemic Diseases Act to deny the rights of pensioners to receive full pension.”