Only 67% pensions distributed on first day

Vijayawada (NTR District): The beneficiaries, who expected to receive the increased pension on the first day, were disappointed due to the delay in payment.

The volunteers were able to distribute pensions only to 67% of the beneficiaries across the State on the first day.

The government announced of distributing an enhanced pension of Rs 2,750 per month from January 1 this year. As per the election promises, the YSRCP government has been enhancing the pension by Rs 250 per year. In June 2019, the government hiked the existing pension of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,250 and it was increased to Rs 2,500 in January 2022. At present the government again enhanced the pension to Rs 2,750.

In fact, 95% of the YSR Pension Kanuka, which has been one of the most helpful schemes to the downtrodden and lakhs of beneficiaries, would be handed over to the beneficiaries at their doorstep on the first day of every month.

As many as 64,06,240 beneficiaries will get Rs 2,750 pension. However, on the first day, volunteers have managed to distribute pensions to 45,22,726 beneficiaries by Sunday. Tirupati district topped the list with the distribution percentage of 82.88. Volunteers distributed pensions to 2,20,819 beneficiaries. They gave Rs 61.40 crore to the beneficiaries.

Annamayya district volunteers distributed pensions to 80.85% beneficiaries. Nandyal, NTR, Krishna, Anantapur, YSR, Chittoor, West Godavari, Kurnool, Bapatla, Guntur and SPSR Nellore districts authorities distributed between 75 to 80 per cent of the pensions on the first day till evening.

In contrast, Sathya Sai, Eluru, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, Parvathipuram Manyam, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Palnadu, Prakasam, Anakapalli and Vizianagaram districts distributed between 60 to 73 per cent pensions.

Likewise, Alluri Seetharama Raju district authorities distributed only 41.18 per cent (51,523) and East Godavari authorities distributed only 18.68 per cent of pensions. East Godavari district has around 2,38,210 pension beneficiaries but only 44,502 beneficiaries get pension till Sunday evening.

Volunteers and other sources stated that village convenors and server issues are the main reasons for the delay in pension distribution. YSRCP village conveners, appointed by the YSRCP for explaining about the government schemes to the beneficiaries, by visiting every house of the respective sachivalayam are causing delay, they added.