Telangana: Aasara Pension Scheme helps widows, elderly financially

The Aasara Pension Scheme launched by the Telangana government has been helping widows and the elderly financially in the state.

The Scheme was launched on November 8, 2014, at Kothur in the Mahboobnagar district.
The welfare scheme provides pensions to old people, widows, patients suffering from elephantiasis, AIDS, physically disabled persons, beedi workers and single women.

The Telangana finance minister in the annual budget session for the fiscal year 2022-23 on March 7, 2022, allocated Rs 11,728 crores to the Aasara Pension Scheme.

The state government has increased the pension given to the elderly, widows, AIDS patients, handloom workers and toddy tappers from Rs 200 to Rs 2,016 per month; the pension for differently-abled was increased from Rs 500 to Rs 3,016 per month; the pension to single women, beedi workers and filarial patients would be given Rs 2,016 per month.

Speaking to ANI, Mohd Yousuf, a beneficiary, thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for the scheme and said the pension helped him meet his daily expenses.

"I am getting a pension for the last three years from the government, I am thankful to Chief Minister for the scheme. This pension helps me to meet my daily expenses," Yousuf said.
Jaya, a widow who has been getting a pension for the last seven years also thanked the Chief Minister.

"My husband is no more and I have three children and I am very thankful to Chief Minister KCR who is helping us," she said.

(ANI)