‘Aasara’ benefits for 38.4 lakh people

Over Rs 4,155 crore for disbursal of pensions scheme already released by State

Hyderabad: True to its name, Aasara social security scheme has proved to be a major financial source for about 38.4 lakh beneficiaries in the State amid the ongoing economic slowdown caused by Covid-19 pandemic. Against the budgetary allocation of about Rs 11,758 crore for the current fiscal for the scheme, the State government has already released over Rs 4,155 crore for disbursal of Aasara pensions.

The State government increased the budget allocations by Rs 2,356 crore during this fiscal despite the economic slowdown impacting the State revenues, against Rs 9,402 crore in 2019-20. The additional allocations are aimed at fulfilling Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s electoral promise to extend the scheme to the age group of 57 and 65 years under the old age category from the current financial year. An official estimation indicated that after extending the age limit, nearly 10 lakh new citizens will benefit from the scheme under the oldage category.

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With 2.56 lakh beneficiaries, Nizamabad district has the largest number of beneficiaries in the State. Jagitial and Hyderabad closely follow with 2.11 lakh and 2.01 lakh beneficiaries, respectively. The districts of Nizamabad, Jagitial, Hyderabad, Warangal urban, Siddipet, Rangareddy, Khammam and Kamareddy among others have considerable number of these beneficiaries. Mulugu has the smallest number of 35,834 beneficiaries.

The scheme was applicable to only the senior citizens, widowed women and differently abled persons in the past. However, it was extended to weavers, toddy tappers and beedi workers apart from single women, HIV and filarial patients, after the State formation. Among the beneficiary categories, the widow pension beneficiaries form nearly 38 per cent of the total 38.4 lakh beneficiaries in the State. About 14.37 lakh women are availing the scheme benefits, followed by 12.07 lakh senior citizen beneficiaries and 4.92 lakh differently abled persons.

Besides providing Aasara pensions to 62,383 toddy tappers, 36,927 weavers, 32,429 HIV and 16,314 filaria patients, the State government is providing financial assistance to 4.21 lakh beedi workers and 1.34 lakh single women under the scheme.

The Aasara pension scheme has drawn lot of attention in the recent past following the BJP State leaders alleging that the Centre was funding two-thirds of the pensions. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao refuted the claims and offered to resign from his post, if the former proved their claims. He said the State government was providing Aasara pensions at an annual expenditure of nearly Rs 11,000 crore to over 38 lakh beneficiaries, while the Centre is contributing a meagre Rs 105 crore for providing Rs 200 pension each covering only seven lakh beneficiaries.

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