TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday announced an increase in old age pension from Rs 2,500 to Rs 2,750 a month with effect from January. This would be raised later to Rs 3,000, as he had promised before the 2019 elections, he said.
Addressing a meeting after the launch of the third phase of the state-wide YSR Cheyutha scheme from Animiganipalli in Kuppam constituency, the chief minister said the scheme would help women of SC, ST and Backward Classes in running their families with pride. This is a major step towards women empowerment, he stressed.
“Under the YSR Cheyutha, the beneficiary women receive a cash assistance of Rs 18,750 per annum, aggregating to Rs 75,000 in four years. “A weeklong Cheyutha festival would be held in Kuppam and elected representatives would visit each house from mandal-level and share the happiness that comes with the scheme,” the CM said.
Jagan said, for the third consecutive year, 26.39 lakh beneficiaries are receiving Rs 4,949.44 crore directly into their bank accounts under YSR Cheyutha. In the past three years, Rs 14,110.62 crore was given under the scheme.
This apart, Rs 19,617 crore was disbursed under the Amma Vodi to 44.50 lakh beneficiaries. Under YSR Asara, Rs 12,758 crore was given to 78.74 lakh beneficiaries while Rs 3,615 crore was given under the YSR Zero Interest scheme.
“Unlike the time of the previous Chandrababu Naidu government, all sections of people are experiencing the joy of development in the past three years of the YSRC rule and this is evident everywhere. In all, the government has distributed Rs 3.12 lakh crore under DBT (direct benefit transfer) and non-DBT, of which Rs 2.39 lakh crore was given to women. All this was done transparently and without any discrepancies, just with a click of a button,” he said.
“While the budget remains the same during the previous and present governments, why could they not carry out the welfare schemes that we have been carrying out now, and with transparency,” he asked.
Panchayat Raj minister Peddireddy Ramachandra, Rajampeta MP P. Midhun Reddy, Chittoor MP Reddeppa and other YSRC leaders as also officials of the district administration took part.
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