HYDERABAD: The enhanced social security pensions will be distributed to beneficiaries in all districts, Assembly segment-wise, from July 20.
The State Cabinet, which met at Pragathi Bhavan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, took a decision to this effect on Wednesday.
At its more-than-five-hour meeting, the Cabinet also approved the new Municipal Bill, which would be introduced in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday by KCR himself.
The State government had earlier announced that the social security pension — Aasara — for aged persons, widows, beedi workers, toddy tappers, weavers, single women, filaria and AIDS patients would be hiked from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,016 per month. The pension for retired artists was hiked from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,016 per month.
The Cabinet decided that the hiked amount should be paid from June, 2019, and it would be paid in July. It directed all ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs and Zilla Parishad chairpersons to participate in the related programmes on July 20. The Cabinet directed district Collectors to convene meetings in all Assembly segments for handing over the proceedings to the beneficiaries.
Once the proceedings are completed, the amounts would be deposited into the bank beneficiaries’ accounts. The Cabinet also approved the reduction of age for the old-age pension eligibility. It was reduced from 65 to 57 years.
Rs 12,000 crore needed yearly
The State Cabinet estimated that after the Aasara pension amounts were hiked, the State required Rs 12,000 crore annually for the implementation of the scheme. The State would spend Rs 11,800 crore and the Centre would give Rs 200 crore