Bhubaneswar, June 19 -- Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Friday expressed deep concern and anguish over the non-payment of pensions to nearly 18 lakh beneficiaries across Odisha for the past three months and urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to immediately release all pending dues through manual disbursement and ensure such delays do not recur.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Patnaik said the affected pensioners belong to the most vulnerable sections of society, including senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities, many of whom depend entirely on pension support for their daily survival.
He said the suspension of pension payments for three consecutive months was not merely a procedural lapse but reflected a serio...