4-lakh beneficiaries increased for YSR pension scheme

After the re-survey, held by the State government of Andhra Pradesh, over the beneficiaries of a pension scheme, the number of pensioners in the state, including elderly and widows have increased by 4,30,743 to 58,99,065.

Pensions were distributed to over 50,60,300 people in February. The government has granted new pensions to 7.41 lakh people (6.14 lakhs in February and 1,27,207 lakhs in March) over the course of a month. The government has made arrangements for pensioners to remit their pension at home amidst holiday on Sunday, i.e. March 1. The state government has launched a scheme to distribute pensions at the homes of beneficiaries through volunteers.

Raja Babu, CEO of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, said that 100 percent distribution is expected to be completed by noon on Sunday.

It has been ordered by the state government that the volunteers should not call all the beneficiaries at one place to distribute the pensions, rather they are advised (Beneficiaries) to distribute cash after taking fingerprints through the biometric machines.

Volunteers are advised not to take private individuals, who are not involved in the process, to the beneficiaries' homes.