1.90 lakh pension applications rejected

Karimnagar: The much touted Aasara scheme is likely to create fresh troubles for the government as the authorities rejected 1.90 lakh applications filed seeking enhanced pensions. Many applicants are now taking to streets, while the Opposition parties are trying to corner the government in this issue. A total 4,73,487 applications from the residents of rural areas and 83,570 applications by residents of urban parts of the district were received, seeking enhanced social security pensions.

The government sought fresh applications from eligible senior citizens, widows and differently-abled persons in order to offer the pensions as per its poll promise. But, a sum of 2,71,875 applicants belonging to the rural areas and 64,337 applications of the urban parts were found eligible for the scheme after the verification process. About, 31,00 applications are yet be verified. Irked by the rejection, several applicants are now resorting to protests, dharans and rasta-rokos. On Saturday, when the Aasara scheme was launched, several protests were held in various parts of the district, indicating a new trouble to the TRS government, which is already drawing flak for not providing adequate power to agriculture sectors.

On Sunday, the followers of the Congress staged a sit-in demonstration in front of Ramagundam Municipal Corporation, demanding pensions to retired employees of Singareni Company Collieries Limited, who were earlier the beneficiaries of the social security pensions.