VIJAYAWADA: Affirming that TDP-led NDA government is committed to extend social security pensions and other welfare schemes to all eligible persons, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stated that it was not fair to give pensions to ineligible persons, adding that the government is firm on implementation of 34 per cent quota to BCs in nominated posts.
During the meeting on implementation of election promises made to Backward Classes (BCs) held at the Secretariat on Monday, the Chief Minister reviewed the disbursement of social security pensions.
The issue of ineligible persons being given pensions under the differently-abled category came up during the discussion. Responding to it, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu felt that proper guidelines should be put in place to decide the eligibility criteria. A thorough inspection should be carried out to remove the names of ineligible persons from the pension beneficiaries list, he added.
Stating that false propaganda is being carried out in the name of removing pensions, Naidu said that it is just verification and eligible beneficiaries need not worry. “Our policy is that all eligible citizens should get the aid from the State government,” he asserted.
Directing the officials to complete the verification of disabled pensions within three months, the Chief Minister cautioned that the State government will not hesitate to take action against the doctors, officials and staff responsible for issuing fake certificates.
He directed the officials to do some more exercise to see to it that there will be no legal tangles or technical snarls for the proposed law to provide safety and security of the BCs, as promised during the recent general elections. The proposed law was prepared based on the report submitted by the Cabinet sub-committee on the issue.
The Chief Minister made it clear that the TDP-led NDA government is committed to implement 34 per cent reservation for BCs in nominated posts as promised and said that this will also be given legality. A decision will soon be taken on how to enact a law on this, he said, adding that as the previous government has reduced the quota for BCs from 34 per cent to 24 in local bodies they lost 16,500 posts.
Because of the negligence adopted by the previous ruling dispensation, the BCs suffered heavily, the Chief Minister said. He also promised that all the necessary measures will be taken to ensure that the 34 per cent quota for BCs will not face any legal issues and told the officials to go ahead after a detailed study on the court judgments.
The Chief Minister gave clear instructions to the officers to undertake necessary repairs on a war footing basis to the girls’ hostels. He directed the officials to clear the dues of diet bills which have been pending since long. A total of Rs 110.52 crore diet bills were pending during the previous government. After the TDP-led NDA came to power, bills worth Rs 76.38 crore have been cleared and on Monday the remaining bills were also asked to be cleared.
Naidu said that the three BC buildings which are under construction should be completed fast and told the officers to acquire necessary land in other districts for such buildings. He also said that an action plan be formulated for sanctioning loans for BCs and gave his consent for the release of Rs 5.4 crore for constructing four Kapu Bhavans.
When officials informed Naidu that the AP Brahmin Cooperative Finance Society formed during the last TDP regime yielded excellent results, the Chief Minister felt that such finance societies should be constituted for every community in the State to strengthen them financially.
The Chief Minister also said that arrangements should be made to set up SR Sankaran Knowledge Centres in every corner of the State so that spoken English classes, and social-emotional skills among others can be brought among the youth. Ministers Veeranjaneya Swamy (Social Welfare), Savitha (BC Welfare) and others were present.