New Aasara pensions bring cheer to many in Nalgonda

The sanction of old age pensions after the eligible age was reduced to 57 years has come as a pleasant surprise for many beneficiaries after the sanction letters were issued to them without any problems.

Nalgonda: The sanction of old age pensions after the eligible age was reduced to 57 years has come as a pleasant surprise for many beneficiaries after the sanction letters were issued to them without any problems.

More interestingly, many of the beneficiaries had maintained that they had applied for the old age pensions and had not made any rounds to the government offices or to the offices of the legislators.

“It’s a surprise. I had applied for the pension at a meeseva centre and got a call to inform me that the pension is sanctioned. I am thankful to the Government for sanctioning the pension without any issue”, a beneficiary Cheruku Laxmaiah commented after collecting the sanction letter. His two sons migrated to Hyderabad in search of livelihood and there were none in the village to take care of him. But with the sanction of the pension, I am confident that I will not be a dependent on anyone, he maintained.

Speaking to Telangana Today, another beneficiary Edula Ramulu praised Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for fulfilling his promise to reduce the age limit of old age pensions to 57 years. He was 58 years and unable to do any work to earn his livelihood due to health problems. He has applied for Aasara pensions online at Mee Seva Centre and got the information through village secretary about the sanction of the pension. He has received ID card and sanction letter of Aasara pension.

Aluvala Yadaiah, who was sanctioned old age pension after the age limit was reduced, said that he was an landless agricultural labourer and his age related health problem was not allowing him to continue his work for the last two years. He led a miserable life for the last two years. Now, now problem was solved, he added.

In Nalgonda district, a total of 51,007 new pensions were sanctioned taking the total number of Aasara pensions to 2,20,187. According to the official figures, out of 51,007 new sanctioned pensions, 4.366 pensions for old age pensions for above 65 years age, 4,440 disabled pensions, 13,188 widow pensions, 598 weavers pensions, 1,278 toddy tappers pensions, 777 single women pensions, 531 ART pensions and 487 filaria pensions.

33,808 new pensions sanctioned in Suryapet

In Suryapet district, 33,808 new pensions including 20,117 new pensions for aged between 57 to 64 years, 2,087 new old aged persons aged above 65 years, 1,718 disabled pensions, 8,722 window pensions, 780 weavers pensions and 589 toddy tappers pensions and 477 single women pensions, have been sanctioned and taken up distribution of ID cards to the beneficiaries by the district authorities. With this, the total number of Aasara pensions reached 1,16,863 in the district.