Hyderabad: Pensions of widows and old-age people are being stopped or deducted to meet the 100 per cent tax collection targets in villages in the state.

It has come to light that in Chief Minister Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s home district Medak, over-enthusiastic officials have stopped payment of pensions to beneficiaries and are adjusting the amount towards taxes.

Siddipet Assembly constituency, represented by irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, has achieved 100 per cent tax collection while the CM’s constituency, Gajwel, has crossed 95 per cent and is set to meet the 100 per cent target by March 31.

Of the total 1,066 gram panchayats in Medak, nearly 900 have already achieved 100 per cent tax collections so far.

Panchayat raj minister K.T. Rama Rao has received several complaints from beneficiaries against Mr C. Suresh Babu, district panchayat officer, Medak, for stopping pensions to achieve 100 per cent tax collection.

The official, however, denied the charge and said that no instructions were issued to stop pensions for collecting taxes.

Complaints have come in from Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad and Warangal that pensions of widows and the elderly are being stopped or deducted.

The TRS government had hiked the pension from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000 per month but the beneficiaries are crying foul at the high-handedness of officials.

Gram sabhas are held at panchayat offices to distribute pensions every month. Sources say that sarpanches and village revenue officers verify tax payment records of every household.

If they notice that the household has defaulted on tax, distribution of pension to that household is stopped and the amount is adjusted towards payment of property tax, water tax, land cess, electricity charges etc.

“We have not issued any directions to officials, either written or orally. Pension distribution and tax collection are two different issues. Some officials might have tried to collect tax arrears from wilful defaulters by threatening to stop pensions,” said C. Suresh Babu, district panchayat officer, Medak.

Beneficiaries, who used to normally receive pension in the first week of every month, have not been paid yet.

With the current financial year set to end in a week, on March 31, the officials are using the pension amounts to clear the tax dues of beneficiaries.

Though there is nothing wrong in the government’s policy of ensuring 100 per cent tax collections, the method adopted by the officials for the purpose has become controversial.

The pension is the only source of income and livelihood for widows and old-age people in villages and abrupt stoppage of the benefit has adversely affected these sections.