HYDERABAD: With the State government deciding to reduce the age limit of old-age pensions to 57 years from 65, an additional 6.62 lakh beneficiaries would be covered under Aasara Pension Scheme shortly and the State government has earmarked substantial budget in the next financial year (2020-21), Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao has said.
The minister said the government has decided to organise camps to enrol new beneficiaries, who have attend 57 years under the scheme. Each beneficiary would be given a pension of `2,016 every month.
Speaking during the Question Hour in the State Assembly on Saturday, the minister said there is no limit to the number of members in the family and all those who are 57 years will be covered under the scheme.
The State government has increased the budget allocation from Rs 9,434 crore to Rs 11,758 crore this year. There are 38.72 lakh beneficiaries who are availing pensions, the minister said. Slamming the BJP for misleading people that the entire pension amount is being borne by Centre, Errabelli said that the Centre is giving a mere `203 crore which is not even five per cent and the remaining amount is being borne by the State government.