VIJAYAWADA: Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) Chief Executive Officer A Md Imtiaz informed the Andhra Pradesh High Court that AP topped the chart in the country in the amount spent on welfare schemes.
In a counter filed on the court’s direction in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by advocate Tandava Yogesh finding fault with the government for not providing a place for old age and widow pensioners in the revised pension schemes under the YSR Pension Kanuka in 2019, to make way for multiple beneficiaries in a single family, the SERP CEO said the government brought in reforms for multiple pensions in the same family.
He maintained that the amendments had benefited many families and the petitioner’s arguments that old age people and widows were not included in multiple pensions scheme in the same family were wrong. He said those with above 80 per cent disability are being provided with a disability pension.
Similarly, those suffering from kidney diseases are being provided pensions for dialysis. Even those suffering from psychiatric problems are also being provided pensions. In the previous government, there was no scope for multiple pensions for the same family, but that is not the case now, he informed.
Imtiaz explained that there is no comparison between what the Centre is paying and what the State is spending on social security pensions. He said while the Centre is paying Rs 200 per month for the old age pension and Rs 300 per widow pension and Rs 500 as a disabled pension, the amount paid by the State government to beneficiaries for the same is several times more.
He further pointed out that the ceiling imposed by the Centre on the number of beneficiaries under the social security scheme is yet to be revised. Out of the 4.93 crore population, 62.79 lakh are pensioners and every month, the government is spending Rs 1,596.81 crore for social security pensions.
This year, Rs 19,152 crore has been spent so far. Though the total population of Uttar Pradesh is four times more than that of Andhra Pradesh, it is AP, is spending four times more for pensions than what is being provided by the Centre.
The Centre is providing Rs 311 crore towards social security pensions. The State is implementing 11 different social security pensions. Apart from this, it is implementing 11 different types of pensions for people suffering from different ailments. He pointed out that the State is empowered to formulate guidelines for the effective implementation of welfare schemes.
3.1 lakh new pensioners
The State government continues to receive new applications through village and ward secretariats for social security pensions. About 3.10 lakh new pension applications have been approved so far, said SERP CEO A Md Imtiaz, adding that State is adhering to National Social Assistance Programme norms