Agartala, May 1:
In a bid to streamline paperwork and ensure timely assistance to cancer patients applying for monthly social security pensions, the Social Welfare and Social Education (SW&SE) Department on Thursday inaugurated a dedicated ‘help desk’ at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Centre (AVBRCC) in Agartala.
The facility was inaugurated by SW&SE Minister Tinku Roy, in the presence of former Speaker Ratan Chakraborty—who also chairs the Rogi Kalyan Samiti of AVBRCC—alongside officials from the SW&SE Department, Health Department, and cancer patients.
The help desk has been set up to ease the enrollment process for eligible cancer patients to access the Rs 2,000 monthly pension. As per official guidelines, all cancer patients in the state—excluding government employees and those with an annual income above Rs 1.5 lakh—are eligible for this social pension.
Tripura, like other northeastern states, has been witnessing a rise in cancer cases, which health experts partly attribute to widespread consumption of betel nut and liquor.
Currently, around 4,000 cancer patients in Tripura receive the monthly pension. With the help desk now operational, officials hope to complete documentation and enrollment processes within a month for new applicants, significantly reducing patient harassment and delays in receiving benefits.
