AMARAVATI: As the country is going through lockdown due to the novel coronavirus, the Andhra Pradesh government has removed biometric restrictions in the distribution of pension in the state. The state government issued a circular to distribute the pension to all the eligible candidates without taking their biometrics or signatures for this month. Only a photo of the pensioner will be taken. AP government has also released funds for the pension distribution two days i. AP gn advanveovernment has ordered the concerned officials to distribute the pensions by April 1.

There are 4,11,207 pensioners in the district. The district officials are to hand over Rs. 98,27,92,750 to the village volunteers who will the distribute the money to all the pension holders. Eligible Pensioners include the elderly, widows, hand loom workers, fishermen, and HIV victims.

The pension beneficiaries are getting a pension of Rs 2,250 per month. Physically handicapped persons and transgenders getting Rs 3,000. YSR congress party has tripled the pension for kidney patients since they came to power in 2019. The state government had increased their pensions from Rs 3,500 to Rs 10,000.

7,752 people are provided with pensions under Abhaya Hastham pension scheme. Prakasam district collector Bhaskar has directed the officials to take steps to draw up pension funds that are already deposited in banks. District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) officials said the pension funds were drawn on Monday.

The District Collector ordered the officials concerned to personally visit the houses of the pensioners and give them the pension. Pensioners expressed their happiness with this decision taken by the government.

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