AP Leads States in Social Security Pension Distribution, Says Naidu
Naidu said investment proposals worth Rs.23 lakh crore had been attracted to the state and would generate employment opportunities for about 23 lakh people.
Kakinada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said Andhra Pradesh had spent `65,887 crore on social security pensions over the past two years, benefiting vulnerable sections across the state.
He said the government was spending nearly Rs.32,000 crore annually on pensions and claimed that no other state was extending support on a similar scale.
Addressing a gathering at Praja Vedika in Chamavaram village of Tuni mandal after distributing pensions, the Chief Minister said 5,606 new beneficiaries had been added from this month, including spouse pension recipients for whom `2.24 crore was being spent. He said pensioners who were unable to collect their benefits for one or two months could receive the accumulated amount for up to three months.
Naidu said pensions worth Rs.2,729 crore were being distributed to 62.34 lakh beneficiaries across the state during June.
Earlier, the Chief Minister handed over a Rs.4,000 pension to Simhachalam, a toddy tapper, and interacted with his family members. He also observed the process of toddy tapping and tasted fresh toddy during the visit.
Highlighting welfare initiatives, Naidu said the government was implementing schemes aimed at improving the living standards of the poor, including free power for weavers and powerloom units and the Stree Shakti programme.
He said investment proposals worth Rs.23 lakh crore had been attracted to the state and would generate employment opportunities for about 23 lakh people. The government was also planning to provide skill development training to 25,000 youth annually, he added.
The Chief Minister alleged that the previous YSRC government had left the state with a debt burden of Rs.10 lakh crore and weakened its financial credibility. He said the state government was pursuing welfare, development and good governance simultaneously.
Naidu accused the Opposition YSRC of attempting to create unrest in the state and referred to recent incidents involving pastors and damage to a statue of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy. He maintained that investigations had established the facts in those cases and rejected allegations of irregularities in the Mega DSC recruitment process.
He said the government would not tolerate attempts to disturb law and order and expressed satisfaction over the performance indicators of Kakinada district. He also complimented district collector Harindher Prasad for the district’s progress.