Disability Rights Association of Goa wrote a letter to the Governor of Goa, P. S. S. Pillai on the non-receipt of the DSSY benefits to 1.40 lakh people.
They wrote, “We would like to bring to your notice that the Government of Goa has not released the social security benefits under the Dayanand Social Security Scheme for 1.40 lakh people in Goa for the last 4 months. Under this scheme persons with disability, senior citizens and widows who are living below the poverty line and have a monthly income of less that Rs. 2,000/- to Rs. 3,500/- receive benefits of Rs. 2,000/- to Rs. 3,500/- per month depending on their annual income. As the payment under the scheme has not been received for the last 4 months many people are facing a hard time for their sustenance and support of their family members due to the high cost of living in Goa.’
Even a meeting with the the State Commissioner for Persons with Disability and the Minister for Social Welfare Govt. of Goa on the matter last week has yielded no results. Looking at the gravity of the situation, they appealed the Governor to direct the Government of Goa to release the pending payments under the Dayanand Social Security Scheme immediately before people below the poverty line in Goa start dying of starvation or suicide due to lack of means of sustenance.
They added that the Government of Goa in Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation No. 1 of 2021 in High Court of Bombay at Goa had given an undertaking to the court that the payments under the Dayanand Society Security Scheme would be paid on a regular basis. As they have failed to implement the same they are in contempt of court.