The Andhra Pradesh government has taken a key decision regarding pensions. While announcing plans to offer pensions to newly eligible individuals, the government is also gearing up to begin the application process for new beneficiaries. At the same time, the government is preparing to crack down on those who are ineligible for pensions but continue to receive them.
This move comes in response to criticism that some individuals, who are not eligible, have been collecting pensions. As part of this overhaul, the government will focus on identifying and removing these ineligible beneficiaries.
The exercise to weed out ineligible recipients has already begun. During the YSRCP regime, there were allegations that pensions were distributed to ineligible individuals, including single women, the disabled, and weavers, due to recommendations from local leaders. Some also claim that despite being eligible, certain elderly individuals, widows, and disabled persons were denied pensions for various reasons.
With criticism mounting that pensions were withdrawn from 800,000 people over the past five years, the government has decided to address the issue. The new coalition government is keen to ensure that every eligible individual receives a pension. In this regard, a five-member cabinet sub-committee has been established, as per orders from Chief Minister Chandrababu, to design new policies for pension distribution.
The government also plans to introduce an app specifically for auditing pensions across the state. Using data from various government departments, officials are working to identify eligible and ineligible beneficiaries at the state level. Special focus will be placed on identifying ineligible recipients, particularly among widows and single women, through this app. Once the lists are prepared, they will be reviewed by the cabinet sub-committee.