AP government delivers pensions to the doors of 58.99 lakh beneficiaries in one day

Amaravati: Under the YSR Pension Kanuka programme, the Andhra Pradesh government set a new record by delivering pension door-to-door to almost 58.99 lakh beneficiaries in the state, in a single day.

The door-delivery started early in the morning on 1 March with an aim to reach 58.99 lakh pensioners. The volunteers who delivered the pensions had covered almost 11.30 per cent of the pensioners by 7 a.m, said Andhra Pradesh panchayati raj and rural development officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi.

By afternoon volunteers achieved 80 per cent of their target by distributing pensions to almost 47 lakh pensioners. By the end of the day, they had completed distributing this month's pensions. The volunteers delivered pensions in all 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The programme received an overwhelming response as villagers from remote areas were waiting for their pension to be delivered. The scheme was launched by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy with an aim to root out corruption.

The YSR Pension Kanuka programme was launched on 1 February. The eligibility age for pension was reduced to 60 from 65 and the pension amount increased from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,250.� Disabled people will get Rs. 3,000 per month, while people who have to undergo dialysis will get Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,000 based on their need. A total of Rs. 15,675.20 crores have been dedicated to this scheme, out of which Rs. 1,320.14 crores have already been released in the first phase.