Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh High Court has refused to interfere with the Election Commission of India’s direction to ban involvement of village/ward volunteers for distribution of social security pension at people’s doorstep in the state.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Dheeraj Singh Thakur and Justice Rao Raghunandan Rao heard a PIL filed by volunteers challenging the ban imposed on pension distribution to beneficiaries at their doorsteps and dismissed the plea.
The court said that except Andhra Pradesh, there is no such practice of distributing pension at people’s doorstep in the entire country. However, it appreciated the practice of delivering welfare schemes at the doorstep of people in the state.
The ECI counsel told the court that an alternative arrangement was made for distribution of pension, in which the disabled and sick get the amount at their doorstep during April, May and June.
