Chandrababu Naidu mulling pension for husband and wife

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government is giving top priority to social welfare measures with a view to checkmating the Opposition parties by denying political space in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. One such agenda on the priority list is providing pension to husband and wife under the NTR Bharosa pension scheme.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who announced Sankranti bonanza of increasing old-age pension from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, is now learnt to be examining the possibility of implementing the pension for aged spouses. According to information available with The Hans India, officials have been asked to prepare a feasibility report on how to implement the pension scheme to multiple number of beneficiaries in a house-hold.

Officials at the Chief Minister Office have informed that the proposal for spouses’ pension, including doubling of pension amount will be approved by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during the ensuing cabinet, tentatively scheduled on January 21.

So far, the state government has been providing pension to one person per a family. Now, the state government wants that both husband and wife should get pension. This, the government feels, will be a good gesture towards the old-aged persons who are neglected by their children. On the other hand, it will also help them politically in the ensuing elections, according to sources.

The government has been providing Rs 1,000 NTR Bharosa pension per month to old-aged persons, widows, weavers, toddy-tappers and AIDS patients and people with disabilities having 40 per cent to 79 per cent disability and Rs 1,500 per month for disabled having 80 per cent and above degree of disability from 2014 onwards.

The proposal for further increase in pension which could be very high for those with more than 80 per cent disability is also under consideration at the CMO. The modalities for this is yet to be finalised.