Delhi govt orders restoration of pension to poet Jamayee

Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam today ordered restoration of pension to Urdu poet Asrar Jamayee, days after it surfaced that he was "declared dead" in 2013.
Gautam gave the direction after visiting the 80-year-old poet at his residence in south Delhi and also asked officials to probe into the circumstances that led to his name being removed from the records.
"The minister (Gautam) visited him this morning and discussed all his problems. He also asked his (Jamayee's) caretaker to submit basic necessary document so that his pension can be restored," a senior official said.
Over the reports of the eminent being "declared dead" by the social welfare department in 2013, the official claimed he "wasn't declared dead but only his name had gone missing".

"Beneficiaries need to submit living certificates annually to avail of the benefits. At times, names are struck off from the list of beneficiaries if people don't submit. The probe will find out as to what happened," he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had yesterday directed Gautam to visit Jamayee's residence and correct the blunder.
"Have asked Rajendr Gautam ji, Minister Social Welfare & Urdu Academy, to meet Asrar Sahib and do the needful within 48 hours," Sisodia had tweeted.
According to the report published in a web portal, Jamayee, deprived of the monthly pension of Rs 1,500, had approached the previous Sheila Dikshit dispensation and also the Kejriwal government earlier for help, but to no avail.