Telangana govt’s Aasara pension ensures poor live with dignity

Telangana is perhaps the only State, which was extending Aasara pensions to elderly, differently-abled, widows, single women, HIV infected, filaria infected (Grade 2-3), handloom weavers, toddy tappers and Beedi workers.

Hyderabad: Telangana Government with a novel intention of ensuring poor live with dignity and financial security launched the Aasara Pension in November 2014 and this year 10 lakh additional pensions are being offered to the existing 35 lakh pensions under the scheme.

Prior to the State formation, a monthly pension of Rs 200 was offered to beneficiaries. The Telangana Government has increased the monthly pension to Rs 3,016 for differently-abled persons and Rs 2,016 for others. From this year, monthly pension is being extended to 6,906 dialysis patients as well.

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Towards implementation of the scheme, the State Government is spending over Rs 12,000 crore annually.

In the past, the eligibility for obtaining pensions under the scheme was 65 years. The eligibility has been now cut down to 57 years by the State Government and accordingly the total number of pensioners under the scheme increased to 45.80 lakh.

Telangana is perhaps the only State, which was extending Aasara pensions to elderly, differently-abled, widows, single women, HIV infected, filaria infected (Grade 2-3), handloom weavers, toddy tappers and Beedi workers.

No other States in the country are extending pensions in such quantum and to people from diverse sections of the society. Further, to ensure transparency and rule out the role of middlemen, the pension is being directly deposited into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Again this practice is in vogue only in Telangana, said a press release.

Following the reduction in age eligibility for availing the pensions from 65 to 57 years, the State Government was spending an additional Rs 3,000 crore annually towards implementation of the scheme.

In tune with the reduction of age limit, the State Government has increased the monthly allocation of funds to Rs 975 crore.