‘Telangana extends pension of Rs 2,000; Centre’s offers only Rs 200’

In Telangana, over 44 lakh pensions were offered and of these, the Centre's contribution was just six lakh

Hyderabad: Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister E Dayakar Rao said the State government was extending a monthly pension of Rs 2,000, while the union Government offered only Rs 200.

In Telangana, over 44 lakh pensions were offered and of these, the Centre’s contribution was just six lakh, he said in the Legislative Council here on Wednesday.

BJP leaders boast about the Centre’s contribution to Telangana. In reality, the Centre offers just Rs 200 as monthly pension to the poor, the Minister said while replying to a question by AIMIM MLC Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri.

“In the united Andhra Pradesh, successive governments spent Rs 861 crore a year towards pensions. The Telangana government is spending about Rs 971 crore per month and Rs 12,000 crore a year,” Dayakar Rao said, adding that Telangana was the only State in the country extending pensions to toddy tappers, weavers, beedi workers, single women and even dialysis patients.

To help the poor and elderly, the State government had lowered the eligibility from 65 years to 57 years under the Aasara scheme.

Accordingly, 8,11,817 applications were received through Mee Seva and 6,05,018 applications were sanctioned till date during the current financial year.

Of language

Amidst serious questioning by members and replies by Ministers, there was some light banter as well in the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

After AIMIM MLC Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri put the question on Aasara pensions and Panchayat Raj Minister E Dayakar Rao rose to give a reply, a member quipped: “This is perfect. Jaffri Saab does not speak Telugu and Errabelli sir does not speak Urdu.” This left the members in splits.