YSR beema beneficiaries left in the lurch

KADAPA: Around 3,236 applicants have been waiting to get the benefits of YSR beema for the past seven months. This is in addition to 1,206 applications for the year 2019 that are yet to be cleared. It is likely that the scheme has been shelved because the Union Government has stopped paying its share. 

Earlier, the Telugu Desam government had launched Chandranna beema to help support workers from the unorganized sector, in case of deaths. It was renamed as YSR Beema after YSR Congress assumed power in the state.

The scheme is applicable to unorganized sector workers earning less than Rs 15,000 per month. If a worker between the ages of 18 and 50 dies, his family will get Rs 2 lakh. Over Rs 5 lakhs would be paid if a person dies in an accident. A person between the ages of 50 and 70 would be paid Rs 3 lakh if he dies in an accident. The scheme is supported by the Centre.

The then state government had entered into an agreement with the Union Government for a period of four years. Although the deadline expired, the Centre has stayed away from the scheme since then.

YSR beema was implemented in June 2019 and registration of claims began thereafter. Meanwhile, rules were changed and it now applies only to the head of the family. 

A total of 5,116 claims were registered from June 2019 to May 2020, of which 3910 were settled. Only 1206 are pending. Then from June to December 2020, a total of 3236 claims were registered. None of this has been resolved. It has been argued that the situation is due to lack of funding from the Centre. Officials said the scheme was not stopped and registrations were still being accepted.