Vijayawada: The distribution of the YSR Pension Kanuka, the amount of which was increased by the state government as a New Year gift to the beneficiaries, started all over Andhra Pradesh on Sunday morning. The increased pension of Rs 2,750 was handed over to nearly 60 per cent of the 64 lakh beneficiaries by the volunteers by evening.
The total number of pension cards as on December 1 was 62,31,365. The distribution of 2,31,989 new pension cards was done on Sunday, taking the total number of pensioners to 64,06,240 in 26 districts of AP.
Stating this, deputy chief minister and minister for panchayat raj Boodi Mutyala Naidu said Pension Weeks are being held in every municipal corporation, municipality and in mandal centres. “Meetings will also be held, in which ministers and legislators would address the public. Chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will distribute pensions to beneficiaries in Rajahmundry on January 3.”
He said the CM is fulfilling his promise of increasing the pension to Rs 3,000 in a phased manner.” In the coming days, the presently hiked pension of Rs 2,750 will touch Rs 3,000,” he said.
The deputy CM refuted the allegations of Telugu Desam and other opposition parties that the number of pension beneficiaries was being reduced. He recalled that only 39 lakh pensions were given during the TD government. This increased to 64 lakh under the Jagan-led government. “This showed a near-double rise in the number of pensioners under the YSRC rule,” he stressed.
Officials said funds were released to hold meetings under the pension week. He explained that Rs 1.50 lakh was released to the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, Rs 1 lakh each for Vijayawada, Tirupathi and other big corporations, Rs 50,000 each for municipal corporations, Rs 15,000 each for municipalities and Rs 10,000 each for mandals.
Further, a sanction of Rs 20,000 was done for ministers to conduct meetings at district centers. The Pension Week will continue till January 7.
Pensioners G. Lakshmi and D. Ramu said the doorstep service for pension distribution was the first-of-its- kind and this helped them get amounts in hand without having to travel to offices and get it. “We are hopeful of getting a Rs 3,000 pension per month in the coming days as is promised by the Jagan government,” they said and thanked the CM for the present hike.
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