Where Is The Promised Hike In Pension?

AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy time and again reiterated that he was committed to the welfare of the poor and marginalised sections of the society, and promised to implement Navaratnalu (nine gems) to achieve it. As per his words, he launched several schemes tagging them with either his name ‘Jagananna’ or that of his father and former Chief Minister late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) .

The YCP leaders too never missed a chance to tom-tom about their leader that he never goes back on his words or steps back from a move (Maata tappadu-Madama tippadu). They boasted that the YCP government fulfilled many of the promises made during the hustings within a year of coming to power.

Amidst the many schemes promised and launched, political observers said that Jagan had not fulfilled his promise to increase the old-age pension by Rs 250 every year.

During the TDP regime, the old-age pension was Rs 2,000 a month. During the campaigning before the general elections in 2019, Jagan promised to increase it to Rs 3,000. While taking oath as the Chief Minister, he said the hike would be implemented in a phased manner as part of which Rs 250 would be added every year, which by the end of the fifth year of his term would reach the figure he promised.

Accordingly, he had increased the pension by Rs 250 after assuming charge as the CM and the beneficiaries have been drawing Rs 2,250 for the financial year 2019-2020. However, with one year of Jagan’s tenure completing and stepping into the second year, the beneficiaries are eagerly awaiting for the Rs 250 hike in the pension amount for the financial year 2020-21.

In AP, altogether over 59 lakh eligible beneficiaries have been taking pensions under various schemes introduced by the YCP government. The various categories of pensioners include old-age, widows, disabled, weavers, toddy-tappers, single women, fishermen, etc.

According to the Department of Rural Development Social Security Pensions website, the AP government has been spending over Rs 1,400 crore per month towards payment of pensions in the state.