3 Years Of YS Jagan: YSR Pension Kanuka Bringing Smiles To The Door Steps Of Millions

23 May, 2022 17:04 IST|Sakshi Post

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy decision to enhance the social monthly pension amount of Rs 2,250 to Rs 2,500 from January 1, 2022 as a New Year gift, brought a ray of hope in the lives of millions of people in the State.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh is committed to the welfare and development of all segments of the society and announced the "Navarathnalu" comprising of various welfare and developmental programmes to achieve this objective. As part of the Navarathnalu , enhancement of pension amount and reduction in the age criteria for old age pension is a major welfare measure to ameliorate the hardships of the poor and vulnerable sections of the society particularly the old and infirm, widows, and persons with disability to secure a dignified life.

In spite of the challenging financial conditions, the AP Government in 2019 issued orders enhancing the Social Security Pensions amount for old Age Persons, Widows, Toddy Tappers, Weavers, Single women, Fishermen, ART (PLHIV) Persons, Traditional Cobblers to Rs.2500/- per month, Disabled persons,Transgender and Dappu Artists to Rs.3,000/- per month, and also for people affected with Chronic Kidney Diseases who are undergoing Dialysis in both Government and network hospitals to Rs.10,000/- per month. Starting on the first of every month Village/Ward Colunteers start their rounds of disbursing the pension amounts to the senior citizens and other beneficiaries.

Many changes have been made in the pension scheme to save ordinary families from financial hardship and Sakshi Post shares a few stories of women whose lives were saved from abject poverty thanks to the YSR Pension Kanuka scheme.

Ravi Hemlatha lives in Visakhapatnam with her husband Narayana Rao and her two children, Her husband used to run a tiffin centre near the Vizag railway station and Hemalatha used to work as a maid to buffer his income and educate her children. Tragedy struck the family when Narayana Rao died suddenly leaving the family in the doldrums. Faced with the daunting task of raising and educating two children, Hemalatha was worried about the future.

But then hope came in the form of a Ward Volunteer who made her apply for the widow’s pension. Not just that he also ensured that she received the YSR Bhima amount as her husband died untimely. She continues to eke out her living as a maid, but thanks to the financial assistance from the YSR Pension Kanuka helps her run the household.

In another story, a senior citizen named Surada Mahalakshmi from Ward no 43 in Akkayapalem in Vizag who is 70 years old can barely walk ten steps and has to purchase medicines for her upkeep. But thanks to the Ward volunteers who come straight home and deliver the pension amount, Mahalakshmi is a happy woman and so are her son and two granddaughters, whom she stays with.

The commitment with which the Village/Ward Volunteers work and the efficient Secretariat system set up by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has ensured that the pension scheme and various other welfare scheme benefits reach the doorsteps of the beneficiaries without any delay. These steps taken by the government with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the living standards of ordinary families are being hailed by the beneficiaries and the people at large.

The YS Jagan government has enhanced the amount of pensions for widows and pensioners. Andhra Pradesh has been recognized as the topmost State to distribute the highest number of pensions in the country. If 36 lakh people were getting pensions during the former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu's rule, the YS Jagan-led government was giving pensions to 62 lakh people.

While Chandrababu Naidu’s government spent only Rs 400 crore every month on social pensions, the YS Jagan government spends about Rs 1,500 crore every month.

Andhra Pradesh is also recognized as the only state in the country that delivers pensions door-to-door thanks to the Village/Ward Volunteers system. The YS Jagan government offers pensions not only to widows, widowers, and single women but also to those confined to beds with chronic illnesses.

A woman named Kanaka Mahalakshmi from Chodavaram who was saved from the verge of poverty and ill-health shared her story.

Mahalakshmi who was a widow had got her three daughters married by selling her property. But when it came to her retired life after settling the children she was left with no money. And to add to her problems she was suffering from kidney ailments and had to undergo regular dialysis and was confined to her house.

But as she was eligible for pension for those suffering from chronic kidney diseases, she now gets Rs 10,000 under the scheme. During Chandrababu’s regime the amount was only Rs 1500 which was barely enough to cover the medicine cost, but thanks to YS Jagan, the amount was enhanced to Rs 10,000. Mahalakshmi is grateful to the government which saved her from the brink of debt and also death as she can now get her dialysis done without being a burden on her family.

A disabled person named Obulayya from Anantapur district and his wife Umarani are also managing to run their household thanks to the pension. Obulayya is completely disabled and confined to the bed and is dependent on his wife for his daily needs. Thanks to the pension scheme which supports handicapped people also, Obulayya gets Rs 3000 and his wife Uma gets Rs 2,500 with which they buy medicines and daily groceries. And again they need not stand in long queues or run pillar to post for the pension like in the previous TDP regime. Village Volunteers come home every month and disburse the pension amounts to both of them right at their doorstep.

Andhra Pradesh has topped the list of states in the country with regard to the implementation of welfare schemes. It has taken steps to ensure that benefits reach the intended sections without any scope of corruption or going into the wrong hands through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and ensures that every single rupee reaches the beneficiary on the date with just the click of a button ensuring lucidity. Come rain or sun, floods or any other calamity, whatever the location or terrain may be, the Village/Ward Volunteers come straight to the beneficiaries' homes, and deliver the amount by taking their biometrics ensuring complete transparency.

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