Keeping its promise of extending “Indiramma Pensions, the Telangana State Government on Wednesday released Rs 213.65 crore. The amount will be disbursed among the beneficiaries who will get the pension for the last two months of October and November. The Government has allotted Rs 159.04 crore for pensions to old age persons and widows, and Rs 54.43 crore for pensions to disabled persons in 10 Telangana States.
It may be noted that Information and Technology and Panchayat Raj Minister KT Rama Rao clarified that only one old age person in a household will be given pension even if there are two are more old persons. However, the government has decided to give any number of pensions to the widows and physically handicapped in a household. Though opposition parties like the Congress and the Telugu Desam are crying foul and stiffly opposing it, the Minister maintained that it was a policy decision taken by the TRS Government. The old age pension cannot be given to second person of a same household.
In some rural pockets, it was reported that the people denied the pension of old age are reportedly caught in the web of bewilderment as to why they could not get one. Taking cue from such reports the opposition parties are making a hue and cry demanding the government to extend the old age pensions to all irrespective of their number in each household. Even the people at the rural areas and towns are not happy with the policy as they are excluded from the benefit, the opposition parties alleged.(NSS)
