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2,978 removed from Aasara scheme
The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has decided to stop awarding pensions to 2,978 people who are currently the beneficiaries of Aasara pension scheme. Using their Aadhar cards and health cards, it has been found that the pensioners belong to families of government employees. From December, their pensions would be withheld.
During the inception of the scheme itself the government had made it clear that people with a government employee in the family would not get pension. However, many government employees and retired employees managed to register the names of their family members for pensions
Sangareddy: The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has decided to stop awarding pensions to 2,978 people who are currently the beneficiaries of Aasara pension scheme. Using their Aadhar cards and health cards, it has been found that the pensioners belong to families of government employees. From December, their pensions would be withheld.
The State government has been awarding pensions to senior citizens, widows, disabled people, weavers, toddy tappers and beedi workers for over a year now. During the inception of the scheme itself the government had made it clear that people with a government employee in the family would not get pension. However, many government employees and retired employees managed to register the names of their family members for pensions.
The DRDA officials checked the health card numbers issued to government employees and the pensioners’ Aadhar card numbers and determined that 2,978 people with government employees in their families have been receiving Aasara pensions.
Out of the 2,978 pensioners, 308 are from Siddipet municipality, 152 from Medak, 123 from Sangareddy, 65 from Sadasivpet, 89 from Andole-Jogipet nagar panchayat, 55 from Gajwel-Pragnapur nagar panchayat and 91 from Zaheerabad municipality.
Out of the 2,978 pensioners, 1,444 are old age pensioners, 821 widows, 208 disabled persons, 20 toddy tappers, 64 weavers, 129 beedi workers and 292 abhayahastam pensioners. A Murali, CEO of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), has directed the DRDA officials to recover the amount paid until now from the concerned government employees.
With Aasara pensions cancelled for 2,978 pensioners, Rs 30 lakh per month would be saved from the State exchequer. This amounts to Rs 3.60 crore per year.
SERP CEO has also instructed the officials not to give pensions to people whose family members are working in private companies as well. The guidelines are that eligible pensioners who have a family member working in private companies earning less than Rs 2 lakh per month in municipal areas and earning less than Rs 1.5 lakh in villages would only be eligible for Aasara pensions.
By:Vivek Bhoomi
