KTR criticises Modi for calling pensions for physically challenged, elderly persons as freebies

Telangana government led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was extending all kinds of support to persons with disabilities and spending Rs 1,800 crore to help 5.16 lakh persons per year, said KT Rama Rao

Rajanna-Sircilla: Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao on Tuesday found fault with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling pensions for physically challenged and elderly persons as freebies and opposing them.

The State government was providing Aasara pensions with a view to protect the interests of the people. However, Modi was opposing such pensions, calling them freebies, he said, after distributing hearing aids, smartphones and laptops, two-wheelers and wheelchairs to physically challenged persons in Sircilla.

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The State government led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was extending all kinds of support to persons with disabilities and spending Rs 1,800 crore to help 5.16 lakh persons per year. An amount of Rs 1,540 crore was being spent on pensions alone. A total of Rs 10,310 crore was spent during the last nine years.

While Telangana was providing the highest pension to persons with disabilities at Rs 4,016, Chhattisgarh was giving only Rs.200, while Rs 300 was being given in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Gujarat was giving only Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 as pensions.

In the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, persons with disabilities used to get Rs 30,000 as financial assistance under the ‘Economic Support’ scheme. This was enhanced to Rs 1 lakh after the formation of Telangana, with Rs 36.86 crore given as financial assistance in the last nine years, he said, adding that Rs 37.83 crore was given for marriages of disabled persons. These could not be construed as freebies or opposed, he said.