A cynic’s point of view
Kevikienyű K. Peseyie
This is to appreciate the state government for its concern and determination to “curb” drawal of fake pensions in this no so fake, free state of ours. This is also to remind our people of the many fakes in our midst. Fake sanctions and drawals, fake mark sheets-degrees, fake indigenous certificates-fake Nagas, fake appointments. A fake “convert” had studied in a prestigious theological college of ours under our sponsorship. Wow, even a fake Reverend! Things do happen in this tourist destination of ours-if you recall the hotel Saramati affair in which a tourist had lost a portion of his crotch to this tourist destination.
What I want to say is that pensioners are not involved in this faking. As such I want to say that there was no reason why the poor pensioners have to be bended double over as the government take its foolproof steps to stop this faking menace. Saving doubtful amount of rupees 7 crore does not call for applause as if “faking” is over in the state of Nagaland.
I am a State pensioner since 1994 and I have no reason to complain as far as pension facilities are concerned. In fact all pensioners should be grateful to the government. But then, pause a moment and hear our story. I, like any other state pensioner, posses at least two identity cards. The first one was issued to me by the Nagaland State Pensioners’ Association (NPA) under the authority of the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima in 1994 on my retirement. The second by the same process issued through the Kohima District Pensioners Association as per government instruction. I have the third card given to me by the Bharat Pensioners Samaj to which I am a life member. There is also the state election photo identity card which I am told by the Election Department that it should not be used as an identity card. I am confused as to what it is for. I have my driving licence which is accepted the world over for the purpose of identification. I have membership card of the Sate Library under the department of Art and Culture government of Nagaland. Every year in November all pensioners are required to submit a “Life Certificate” without which payment will not be made. I also have the Tatkal identity card issue by the Northeast Railways, New Delhi. He, he, this makes me a V.I.P. – not fake – a VERY IDENTIFIED PERSON.
Every month those behind the payment counter at the SBI (Main) Kohima where I get my payment see my evergreen face. I will tell you they are polite, helpful and respectful of age despite being surrounded by hosts of wrinkled faces, some emitting not so pleasant odour, all eager to get their payments quickly and first! If you want to identify a pensioner without being introduced just keep your nostrils open and alert. Ladies excluded!
Then came a day when the man behind the counter behaved as if he never knew me and refuse to pay unless I get a certificate from the vigilance commission saying that too many “fake pensioners” were around. We thought how could there be a “fake” pensioner. Pensioners and honest people were angry and hoped that photographs of such criminals who indulge in such shameless game of “faking” would be published in the newspaper along with the list of “fake pensioners” and the amount of fake pension drawn.
Oh, no! The government instead hauled up all the genuine pensioners who are all above the age of 57 years which according to NSF standard measure is old and senile to exhibit themselves before the vigilance commission to get a stamp of authenticity. Here too the vigilance commission did a good job. Their treatment to the “old and senile” pensioners was praise worthy. Thus the pensioners were getting their payments smoothly while these criminals might have continued with their faking. We thought it would not be so difficult for the police to catch the criminals without having to disturb the poor genuine pensioners. But then, his Excellency, the Governor, himself a pensioner, while addressing the state pensioners came up with a novel foolproof way called D.Card (Drawal Card) to identify genuine pensioners without disturbing criminals. The State Government nodded vigorously to the novel proposal while the criminals must be laughing in their sleeves. So another round of photographing, form filling and jostling. Sorry to say our photojournalists were dead to this lively world of old and senile pensioners. So from April 2006 all pensioners had to get a D.Card to be renewed yearly along with the yearly mandatory “Life Certificate”. I thought that when a policeman is trained for more than ten months he learns how to catch criminals and thieves, not only to use the baton to batter law abiding citizens. There has to be a better way to catch criminals.
We were told that this cleaning up had saved an amount of Rs 7 crores, why not use this amount to build a rest house for pensioners before the amount melts. Pensioners do have a lot of problems when they come to their respective HQs to draw their dues. I recommend declaring the year 2007 as the “year of the pensioners” and do something good so that the senile, old and infirm (NSF game) too can contribute something useful in the society. The 7 crore could only be a small tributary to the huge outflow of fake funds.
