Amaravati, March 1 The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday claimed to have set a new record by door-delivery of social security pension to 58.99 lakh poor people in the state.
As part of the YSR Pension Kanuka programme, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government undertook the massive pension disbursal programme for the second consecutive month.
Officials said by afternoon, 47 lakh pensions were delivered by the volunteers at the ward and village Secretariats.
It was done by the volunteers to prove that there was no scope for corruption or prejudice.
The door-delivery of pensions by the volunteers started even before dawn and gained momentum as the day progressed.
The Jagan Mohan Reddy government said door-delivery of pensions has brought to an end the long waits by the senior citizens, and saved old, sick and disabled beneficiaries from the trouble of visiting pension disbursement offices.
It was a pleasant surprise for them as they were receiving the pension on Sunday.
Officials claimed that Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country to take up such an initiative.
The volunteers working for ward and village secretariats were equipped with smart phones with biometric information of the beneficiaries to deliver the pension at their doorsteps without any hassle. The amount was transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
It was on February 1 that the programme was launched successfully and the problems faced then were eventually overcome this time with proper management and timely disbursal as real-time data was made available and special cells established to monitor the whole process right from the grass-roots level by the ministers, MLAs, Collectors and finally the Chief Minister himself.
As many as 80 lakh people are being covered under the programme.
The government is spending Rs 1,384 crore every month to pay pensions under various schemes.
After coming to power in May last year, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had increased the pension amount for various categories of beneficiaries and it also set up ward and village secretariats to ensure that the benefits of various government reach the beneficiaries at their doorsteps in urban and rural areas.
The government is now paying a monthly pension of Rs 2,250 to the elderly, widows, weavers, toddy tappers, fishermen, single women and traditional cobblers and others, Rs 3,000 for disabled and Rs 5,000 to Rs.10,000 for CKDU/Dialysis patients.
( With inputs from IANS )