KAKINADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has released the enhanced welfare pensions to beneficiaries across the state at an event held here on Wednesday.
Some 66.34 lakh beneficiaries would be getting the welfare pension, involving a disbursal of Rs 2,000 crore every month. The pension amount rose to Rs 3,000 from Rs 2,750 from this month as per an order issued earlier by the chief minister.
Jagan Reddy noted that it was after he promised to enhance the welfare pensions during his pre-poll padayatra that the then TD government raised it to Rs 2,000 per month. Later, he promised the people to raise this amount to Rs 3,000.
“As soon as I assumed charge as CM, I put my first sign on the order to enhance the pension to Rs 2,250. From 2019, every year, the pension amount has been increased and now you would be getting Rs 3,000 as pension every month,” he said.
Jagan Reddy said that marking this occasion, pension celebrations are being held for 8 days this January in a festive atmosphere. “New Year is not just in calendar. Lifestyles should change for the better every New Year.
He said that for the past four and half years, the YSRC government released Rs 1.82 lakh to every pensioner including the disabled. “During the term of the TD government, the pensioners used to wait for hours in queue and the Janma Bhoomi Committees used to ask them which party they belonged to. But there is no such situation now. The beneficiaries are selected without any considerations of caste, religion or politics, and in a fair and transparent manner”
The chief minister said the previous TD government could give welfare pensions to only 39 lakh beneficiaries at the rate of Rs 1,000 per month by spending Rs 400 crore from the exchequer. Now the welfare pensioners number 66.34 lakh and the YSRC government is spending Rs 2,000 crore on this count.
He said after the YSRC came to power, welfare schemes worth over Rs 2.46 lakh crore were introduced and 31 lakh house sites given out to the homeless. Of these, 22 lakh houses are under construction.
The state government provided Rs 33,000 crore to 53.52 lakh farmers under the Rythu Bharosa scheme by releasing Rs 13,500 per year to each farmer, Rs 19,178 crore to 78.94 lakh self-help groups under the YSR Asara scheme, Rs 14,129 crore to 22.40 lakh beneficiaries, Rs 2028 crore to the YSR Kapu Nestham scheme, Rs 982 crore to Nethanna Nestham, Rs 1302 crore to YSR Vahana Mitra Scheme, Rs 1257 crore to EBC Nestam, Rs 905 crore to Agrigold victims, Rs 2955 crore to Jagananna Thodu, Rs 1253 crore to Jagananna Chedodu and other programmes in the past 55 months, the CM said.
He said permanent employees have been recruited to Village secretariats, village clinics as also to RBKs and Arogya Suraksha programmes. The government is providing Tabs, IFP class rooms in schools. Farmers are getting 9 hours of continuous power. The Aarogyasri scheme is enlarged to include coverage for 3,250 diseases, he said.
Earlier, the chief minister inaugurated the Kondaiah Railway Over Bridge built at a cost of Rs 65 crore. He also inaugurated the YSR Skating Rink built at a cost of Rs 9.50 crore, the Science Centre erected with an outlay of Rs 20 crore, a Trauma Care centre and a cath lab set up at a cost of Rs 15 crore.
Jagan Reddy said '47 crore would be sanctioned to set up a water treatment plant to provide drinking water to the people of Jagannadhapuram, as was requested by Kakinada MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy.
District collector Kritika Shukla explained the implementation of various schemes. Fisheries minister Sidiri Appala Raju, transport minister Pinepe Viswaroop, BC welfare minister Chellboyina Srinivasa Venu Gopalakrishna, R&B minister Dadisetty Raja, home minister Taneti Vanitha, deputy chief minister Budi Muthyala Naidu, Rajya Sabha member Pilli Subhashchandra Bose, MP Mithun Reddy, Rajamahendravaram MP M Bharat, Kakinada MP Vanga Githa, Amalapuram MP Chinta Anuradha and others were present.
