HYDERABAD: Minister for Panchayat Raj E Dayakar Rao on Saturday announced that the state government is conducting a survey to identify new beneficiaries of the Aasara pension scheme.
The government had recently reduced the qualifying age to 57 years, thereby adding nearly six lakh new beneficiaries.
Rao added that Telangana was giving old-age pensioners, widows and persons with disabilities a pension of Rs 2,016 per month, while even BJP-rules States were giving only Rs 500 to Rs 750.
“The support for the Centre is very little. Of the 9,402 crore provided to beneficiaries under Aasara, the Centre is giving only Rs 209 crore,” he said.
He added that unlike other states, which extend benefits to people of only a few categories, Telangana offers it widows, persons with disabilities, weavers, toddy tappers, HIV/AIDS positive persons and beedi workers.