In a significant development to enhance the welfare of the pensioners in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu announced reforms in the state’s pension scheme. The move is to ensure that many beneficiaries, who face difficulties in accessing their payments due to logistical problems, are addressed.
Nowadays, pensioners normally receive their monthly transfers at the onset of the month. However, there is normally a hitch for several pensions allocated in more than one location, leading to an extra cost coupled with complexities associated with the collection of that pension. For people moving about from one place to another, the first day of the month or, most times, the second could be a busy moment in terms of getting pension pickups especially if they need to get somewhere.
Pensioners are made to collect their money within the month or else it would be cancelled. Such a rule puts many unnecessary hardships on the people as they are day-to-day dependents of these funds.
To counter these problems, Chief Minister Naidu has brought back a more liberal pension scheme. The new rules permit pensioners to withdraw the payment even if they have defaulted for two successive months. This would allow them to withdraw three months’ worth of pensions in one go, amounting to ₹12,000. Naidu has instructed the officials to implement this reform immediately to help the beneficiaries derive instant relief.
In a flexibility that was the norm for the previous TDP government during its rule between 2014 and 2019, the people not able to collect their pension in a month did not suffer. It has reinstated the system back with this policy which is in place again after it had been confirmed by Naidu while visiting Ichchapuram in Srikakulam district recently.
Widespread appreciation has met Naidu’s decision allowing pensioners who fail to collect their payments during the month of November to do so in December. Due to work requirements at other places, many pensioners cannot collect their pensions. With the old policy now restored, Naidu has fulfilled his electoral promise to those people who really depend on such payments to carry out their livelihood.
