AP Releases Rs 2,750.96 Crore for Social Security Pensions
Pensions to be disbursed from Aug 1; widows of deceased pensioners to receive Rs 4,000 monthly
Vijayawada: The state government has released Rs 2,750.96 crore towards payment of pensions under the NTR Bharosa scheme.
Announcing this here on Thursday, rural poverty alleviation minister Kondapalli Srinivas said a total of 63,71,595 pensioners would receive their payments from August 1. In addition, 1,09,155 more widow pensions have been approved under the spouse category. These women would receive Rs 4,000 per month.
“This is expected to incur an additional cost of Rs 43.66 crore for the government,” he said.
Srinivas recalled that chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu had stated during a visit to Srikakulam district on Nov 1 last year that pensions would be distributed to widows under the spouse category. “Hence pensions would be disbursed to the widows of deceased pensioners who have passed away.”
Pensions under the spouse category are provided monthly.
However, the minister noted that many widows who lost their spouses between May 2019 and October 2024 had not received their pensions. “The present action rectifies that oversight by granting pensions to these deserving beneficiaries.”
The minister said the distribution of pension amounts would commence at the residences of pensioners at 7am on Friday, August 1, and would continue for two days. Local village and ward secretariat staff are facilitating the process.
Pensioners who are unable to collect their amounts due to any reason would receive a combined payment for two months the next month, the minister stated.