Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, on Thursday, demanded that the TRS government grant social security pensions under Aasara scheme to 11 lakh-odd fresh eligible pensioners, in the wake of relaxation of the age limit.
In a letter written to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, a copy of which was released to the media, he said the number of beneficiaries under Aasara pensions scheme would be going up due to reduced age limit to 57 years, as promised in the TRS election manifesto in 2018. Hence, the government should make adequate budgetary allocations to meet the requirement of fresh beneficiaries and release necessary guidelines for scrutinising the fresh applications, he said.
“The ruling party had promised to reduce the age limit of Aasara pension beneficiaries from 65 years to 57 years which adds 11 lakh new beneficiaries to the existing 39 lakh, but for the last three years there has been no move to include the fresh names in the eligibility list,” he said.
