Sanction of pensions simplified now: Kakani

Nellore: Agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy said on Monday that people used to run from pillar to post for pensions during TDP rule but now volunteers themseles are approaching beneficiaries for sanction pensions without any difficulty.

He handed over new pensions to the beneficiaries at Venkatachalam MPDO office here on Monday.

He said now 62.82 lakh people are getting pensions in the state and the government is spending Rs 1,600 crore every month. He said people who lost a family member were forced to visit the government offices for welfare pension earlier but now the Chief Minister made the process easy after observing difficulties of the poor adding that the budget had reached Rs 20,000 crore only for welfare pensions.

He said the pension is reaching the doorstep on 1st of every month through 2.70 lakh volunteers across the state thus giving a big relief to the people.

He said hereafter the state government will release new pensions only during June and December. In Nellore alone, 3,10,661 people are getting pensions worth Rs 79 crore in which 12,536 were included freshly, the minister informed. He assured that the government would consider cases if people failed to get pensions due to technical grounds.