Andhra Pradesh CM travels in autorickshaw to hand over widow pension

Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), Aug 1 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday travelled in an autorickshaw to visit the house of a widow in a village in YSR Kadapa district to hand over monthly pension.

The Chief Minister surprised all by boarding an autorickshaw to reach the house of Vulsala Alivelamma at Gudemcheruvu village of Jammalamadugu mandal.

Later, he spoke to her family members for a while to learn about their problems. The Chief Minister also inspected the hand-weaving machine of her elder son Venugopal, who informed the Chief Minister that his six-year-old son Harshavardhan, who is in the first standard, has received the benefit of Talliki Vandanam (a state government scheme).

Later, the Chief Minister also spoke to Alivelamma's younger son, Jagadeesh, who is an autorickshaw driver. Chandrababu travelled in Jagadeesh’s autorickshaw to reach his house. During the journey, the Chief Minister enquired from him about the problems faced by the family.

A villager also requested the Chief Minister to sanction him pension as he was suffering from paralysis. The Chief Minister ordered District Collector Sridhar Cherukuri to immediately sanction the pension.

The TDP-led coalition government has been distributing monthly social security pensions among various categories of beneficiaries.

On the first of every month, the Chief Minister participates in the 'Pedala Sevalo' (service to the poor) programme, distributing monthly pensions among a few beneficiaries and interacting with them.

Chandrababu Naidu said the state government is spending Rs 2,750 crore every month on pension under the NTR Bharosa Pension scheme.

Participating in the programme last month, he stated that even major states are not providing pensions on this scale. “We are spending Rs 2,750 crore every month on pensions. Telangana is spending Rs 8,000 crore annually, Kerala only Rs 7,200 crore,” he said.

He claimed that the government has fulfilled the election promise by increasing the pension from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000.

--IANS

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