AP Leads Nation In Welfare Spending, Says Somireddy
Comparing Andhra Pradesh’s welfare scale with other states, he said Telangana spends Rs 8,000 crore annually, offering pensions of Rs 2,016 per month. Maharashtra, a larger state, provides Rs 1,000 per month with an annual outlay of Rs 3,841 crore
Nellore: Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the national leader in welfare and pension spending, allocating Rs 32,000 crore annually to support more than 67 lakh beneficiaries — far surpassing other major states, said Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy on Saturday.
Participating in the NTR Bharosa pension distribution programme at Totapalligudur, Somireddy said the initiative has turned into a monthly celebration of welfare across the state. In Totapalligudur Panchayat alone, Rs 15.87 lakh in pensions are distributed each month to 375 beneficiaries, totalling Rs 1.9 crore annually.
Comparing Andhra Pradesh’s welfare scale with other states, he said Telangana spends Rs 8,000 crore annually, offering pensions of Rs 2,016 per month. Maharashtra, a larger state, provides
Rs 1,000 per month with an annual outlay of Rs 3,841 crore. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat offer Rs 1,000 and Rs 750 per month respectively, with Gujarat’s total annual pension budget standing at only Rs 1,352 crore. Karnataka provides Rs 600, and Bihar Rs 400 per month.
“Andhra Pradesh spends Rs 31,000 crore more than Gujarat each year on pensions — proof that no other state matches our commitment to welfare,” Somireddy declared.
He added that under the NTR Bharosa scheme, elderly citizens and widows receive Rs 48,000 a year, persons with disabilities Rs 72,000, and bedridden individuals Rs 1.8 lakh annually at Rs 15,000 per month.
Somireddy criticised former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and certain media outlets, saying, “These welfare facts are invisible to Jagan and the blue media.”
Highlighting other welfare schemes, he said that under the Annadata Sukhibhava programme, farmers in Totapalligudur received Rs 74.80 lakh, while under the Talliki Vandanam scheme, Rs 38.22 lakh was distributed to 292 mothers. “Welfare is the soul of the Telugu Desam— and Telugu Desam itself stands for welfare,” Somireddy asserted.
