New Pension Rule Eases Burden On AP Weavers
Savitha said she had immediately taken up the issue with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who directed officials to relax the bank statement requirement so that all eligible weavers could benefit from the Nethanna Bharosa scheme.
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has relaxed a key requirement for weavers applying for the newly sanctioned Nethanna Bharosa pensions, allowing them to submit applications without bank account statements, handlooms and textiles minister S. Savitha said on Friday.
She said weavers working under master weavers would only have to submit certification from the master weaver and details of the wages paid to them. The relaxation is expected to come as a major relief to thousands of weavers who were finding it difficult to produce bank statements because their wages were generally paid directly by master weavers.
The issue was brought to the minister’s notice by several weavers and representatives of handloom associations after the government announced that applications could be submitted from September 7 for old-age, widow, single-woman, disabled, weaver and other social security pensions.
Savitha said she had immediately taken up the issue with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who directed officials to relax the bank statement requirement so that all eligible weavers could benefit from the Nethanna Bharosa scheme.
She said all weavers who had completed 50 years of age would be provided Nethanna Bharosa pensions and urged eligible beneficiaries not to worry about the documentation requirement. She directed district handlooms and textiles officials to accept applications even without bank account statements.
The minister said the government’s decision would provide relief to a large number of weavers and reiterated that the Chief Minister’s objective was to improve the financial well-being of the weaving community.