Hyderabad, Mar 22:Telangana Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao on Monday informed the Assembly that 39,36,521 people were benefited in the state under Aasara Pension Scheme (APS).

Replying to questions from members in the house during the question hour, the Minister said that keeping in view of welfare of the people, the state government led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was implementing APS by extending Rs 2,016 as ordinary pension and Rs 3,016 pension for the disabled.

” The Government is spending Rs 11,724.70 crore per annum under APS. As many as 39,36,521 people are benefited under the scheme”, he said.

Elaborating category-wise pensioner details, the Minister said old age pensions have been extended to 13,19,300 people, Widow pensions to 14,43,648 people and disabled pensions to 4,89,648 people.

Pensions have also been extended to Weavers (37,342), Toddy Tappers (62,942), HIV patients (28,582), Filaria Patients (14,140) and Beedi workers (4,08,621). Single woman pension was extended to 1,32,298, Mr Rao added.

He said, the Central government was extending only Rs 105 crore at the rate of Rs 200 each to about 6,66,000 people under the scheme.

Of the total pensions, the state government’s share is 98.8 per cent, while the Centre share is only 1.2 per cent, he explained.

Explaining pension schemes in other states, the Minister said, in Gujarat its was Rs 750, Madhya Pradesh, Rs 600, Rajasthan Rs 750, Uttar Pradesh Rs 500, Bihar Rs 400, Punjab Rs 750 and Karnataka Rs 600.

“No state, except Telangana, is implementing such a huge Aasara Pension Scheme in the country”, he said.

Mr Rao said that the old age people are living happily while getting respect from the family members because they are getting monthly pensions.

Admitting that there are some difficulties while implementing the Aasara Pension Scheme during the last year due to COVID-19, the Minister said the government was considering extending the old age pensions to the people who have completed 57 years.

He also assured to conduct more medical camps to issue certificates to the disabled people who can get the physical handicapped pensions.(UNI)