Amaravati: Ministers assert transparency in pension for all programme

Amaravati: Panchayat raj and rural development minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy and municipal administration and urban development Botcha Satyanarayana vehemently denied allegations that several lakhs of eligible beneficiaries were left out of pension scheme by the state government and asserted that the scheme was being implemented in a very transparent manner.

Hailing the door delivery of pensions that began on February 1, they said that the government of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was firm on delivering transparent governance.

Talking to media at the Secretariat here on Tuesday, Ramachandra Reddy said all the details of eligible beneficiaries and of those who were not eligible were displayed in village secretariats.

The eligible candidates who have not received pension can apply for it and the issue would be resolved within five days. "This will be a constant process," he added.

He said that 94.44 per cent pensioners, i.e. 50,50,394, received pension in three days. The remaining will also get them in two days.

The minister said 4, 27,538 lakh applicants had been identified as ineligible for pension benefit and 6.11 lakh new pensioners were added after YSRCP came to power.

"Unlike any other chief minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy is firm on delivering welfare schemes to those who are eligible irrespective of caste and religion," he said.

He said social audit was done for this process and all the details were displayed in the village secretariats and added that the entire process was very transparent.

He criticised TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for claiming that seven lakh pensioners were removed from the list. In support of his claim, Ramachandra Reddy showed a video in the press conference which shows the village secretariat of Naravaripalle, Naidu's native village, where the list of beneficiaries has been displayed. Every village secretariat in the state will have the details displayed, he added.

Municipal administration minister Botcha Satyanarayana said everyone was happy with the door delivery of pensions as the process is transparent.

Naidu had been carrying out false propaganda against the government over number of pensioners, he said and assured that every eligible person would receive the government's welfare benefits.

"We are here to say that the Chief Minister has assured and asked everyone not to worry and everyone will be benefited," he said. "Eligible women who are above 45 years of age belonging to SC, ST, BC and minority communities will receive Rs 15,000 every year for four years from next year," he added.

He also said that it was Naidu who was responsible for lack of any allocation in the Union budget to the state. Naidu had agreed with the Central government that Rs 350 crore was sufficient for each district and that funds were also diverted during the TDP rule. Moreover, the funds allocated for Vizianagaram had been used for the beautification of Ashok Gajapathi Raju's fort.

He said Naidu had betrayed the cause of Special Category Status for the state. "It was awful that Yanamala Ramakrishnudu thinks that he is the only intelligent person in the world," he said.