Andhra govt to accept applications for welfare pension

Amaravati, The Andhra Pradesh government is providing another opportunity to those who are eligible for welfare pensions but have not been receiving them for various reasons.

Applications for pensions will be accepted from September 7 to 16, an official release said.

"The state government is providing another opportunity to those who are eligible for pensions but have not been receiving them for various reasons. The government has accorded priority to both transparency and speedy disposal of applications and has fixed clear deadlines for every stage of the process," the release said late on Sunday.

Eligible applicants can submit their applications at the Swarna Gramam or Swarna Ward centres.

After completion of scrutiny at all levels, pensions will be sanctioned in a phased manner to eligible beneficiaries.

The NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme provides dignity to senior citizens, financial security to widows, support to persons with disabilities and a livelihood lifeline to poor families.

The southern state is moving forward with the objective of ensuring social security for every eligible poor person, rather than merely increasing the number of pension beneficiaries.

At present, nearly 62 lakh pensioners in the state are receiving pensions amounting to approximately ₹2,694 crore per month.

Around 13 per cent of the state's population is benefiting from social security pensions, the release said.

In terms of the pension amount, number of pensioners, monthly expenditure and annual funds allocated for pensions, Andhra Pradesh stands at the highest level in the country, it said.

"This is not merely a record reflected in statistics, but a testament to the government's continued financial support to millions of poor families," it said.

Currently, senior citizens and widows receive a ₹4,000 pension per month, followed by persons with disabilities of ₹6,000, several categories of people suffering from severe health conditions at ₹10,000, and persons with complete disabilities receive pensions of up to ₹15,000.

From the time the government assumed office until September 1, 2026, it has spent ₹73,508 crore on pensions.

The NTR Bharosa Pension scheme is not confined to old-age pensions.

Recognising the specific needs of different sections of society, the government is providing pensions under nearly 28 categories.

Apart from senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities, handloom workers, fishermen, toddy tappers, single women, dappu artists, traditional footwear makers, transgender persons and those suffering from various chronic diseases are receiving pensions.

The government has already transformed pension distribution held across the state on the first of every month into a 'Festival of the Poor', the release added.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.