BHUBANESWAR: Leader of Opposition and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging immediate intervention to resolve the prolonged delay in pension payments under various social security schemes. In his letter, Naveen expressed “deep concern and anguish” over the non-payment of pensions for nearly three months to around 18 lakh beneficiaries across the state.
In the letter dated June 19, 2026, Naveen said the affected beneficiaries include elderly citizens, widows and persons with disabilities, many of whom depend entirely on pension support for their daily survival.
He stated that the delay had pushed vulnerable people into distress and deprivation and cited reports of a woman from Ganjam district allegedly losing her life after being deprived of pension benefits.
The former Chief Minister also questioned reports that the delay was caused by software-related issues. He described the situation as a serious administrative lapse and said citizens’ rights should not be left at the mercy of technological failures.
Recalling the pension distribution system during the BJD government’s tenure, Naveen said pensions were regularly disbursed on the 15th of every month as “Jan Seva Diwas.” He noted that beneficiaries received pensions at the Gram Panchayat level and that special arrangements were made for those unable to collect them in person. He claimed that this citizen-centric model had ensured timely delivery and accountability.
In the letter, Naveen urged the Chief Minister to immediately release all pending pension payments through manual disbursement and ensure that such delays do not recur in the future. He also called for fixing accountability for the lapse and reassuring beneficiaries that their rights would be protected.
A day before writing the letter, Naveen had raised the issue publicly through a social media post. In the post, he said it was “extremely heartbreaking” that poor people were not receiving pensions and questioned how lakhs of beneficiaries could be left waiting for more than three months.
The BJD chief further alleged that the BJP had come to power after promising higher pension benefits but had failed to deliver on those assurances. He questioned the state government’s silence on the issue and demanded immediate action to resolve the crisis affecting beneficiaries under social security schemes.
The pension delay has emerged as a major political issue in Odisha, with the opposition accusing the state government of failing to protect the interests of some of the most vulnerable sections of society.
