‘Thara fufa jinda hai’ — 102-yr-old Haryana man, declared ‘dead’, fights for pension renewal

Duli Chand of Rohtak, Haryana says he hasn't received his old-age pension since 2 March and has been trying to prove that he is alive for the past six months.

102-year-old Duli Chand of Gandhra village in Rohtak, Haryana | Twitter/@Dr_VisheshSingh

New Delhi: Seated atop an ornate carriage, clad in a pink turban and sunglasses, and holding a placard that reads “thara fufa jinda hai” (I am still alive) – Duli Chand of Rohtak’s Gandhra village is a sight to behold.

The 102-year-old man took to Rohtak’s streets Thursday only to prove that he was alive. The reason? He has been declared dead on government records and has not received his old-age pension since 2 March.

Speaking to ThePrint, Duli’s grandson, Pavan Chand, said they had registered a complaint with the CM Window, the Haryana government’s grievance redressal and monitoring system, over a month ago, but was yet to receive a response.

Videos of Duli’s procession around Rohtak have been doing the rounds on social media platforms.

Duli told mediapersons Thursday that he had appealed to the government to restore his pension, and has been trying to prove that he is alive for the past six months, but to no avail. He also presented multiple identification proofs to the media – including his Aadhar card, PAN card, family ID, and bank statements.

Meanwhile, Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Yashpal Yadav told ThePrint that the “order for revision” has been sent to the Department of Social Welfare, and that the Chand family should expect the renewal of his pension in the next one-two days.

Pavan also said Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahender Pal has confirmed to the family that Duli’s pension would be restored in two-three days’ time.

A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) recently found that the Haryana government had transferred Rs 97.5 crore to “dead pensioners” between 2017-2020. Another Rs 2.33 crore were transferred to “dead beneficiaries” but these were treated as regular pension accounts.

Seen beside the elderly man Thursday was former president of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Haryana unit, Naveen Jaihind.

“It is unfortunate that such elderly residents are being harassed by stopping their pension. No concrete action has been taken despite a complaint being lodged with the chief minister’s grievance redressal cell,” Jindal was quoted as saying.