As the country debates the pros and cons of welfare schemes and even as a section of society views them as mere political tools to woo the voters at the cost of the economy, the Telangana government doesn’t seem to shy away from increasing the welfare net by bringing in more sections under its ambit.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao describes Telangana as the epitome of welfare, while Municipal Minister K.T. Rama Rao challenges other political parties to show if any other State is close to Telangana in implementing welfare schemes. “We understand the pain and needs of the lower rung of the society that needs the support of the government. Such schemes are also introduced in the interest of the State to keep the society free of conflicts arising out of the economic barricades,” argues Mr. K.T. Rama Rao.
The Telangana government makes no bones about the success of the schemes positively contributing to the State’s economy with people strengthened with more purchasing power. Funds from these schemes have directly gone into agriculture, making it the top producer of paddy in the country, while other schemes like Aasra pensions have ensured that the confidence of the elders is intact and they lead a dignified life without much dependency on the children.
Over the last nine years, lakhs of people have directly benefitted from the schemes while thousands of people have been brought under the welfare ambit. The government figures reveal that in 2014, the number of Asara pension beneficiaries was only 28,47,855. The Telangana government has increased the number to 43,81,338 by 2023.
Similarly, in 2014, ₹67.47 crore per month was spent on the monthly pension Asara. Today, the government is providing ₹ 976.42 crore per month for the same. The recent decision to enhance the physically challenged persons pension to ₹4,016 would benefit 5,11,656 persons.
Initially, the government provided pension support to the elderly, differently-abled, HIV-AIDS victims, handloom workers, and stone masons. Furthermore, the government implemented the Asara Pension Scheme for beedi workers from March 2015, single women from April 2017, filaria-affected persons from April 2018, and dialysis victims from August 2022.
Mr. K.T. Rama Rao says Telangana is the only State providing pension support to beedi workers. The government has also reduced the eligibility age for old age pension from 65 to 57 years. With this decision, the government in August 2022 approved to grant new old-age pensions as well as new support pensions to 10 lakh beneficiaries across various categories.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has repeatedly said that the government, on humanitarian grounds, has decided to provide financial security to various communities who are facing difficult times. The monthly pension amount has also been significantly increased in a phased manner.
Before the formation of Telangana, the government used to provide a pension of ₹200 per month to the elderly, differently-abled people, handloom workers, and AIDS victims. After the formation of Telangana State, the government increased the monthly pensions to ₹2,016 and ₹3,016 for the differently-abled.
Additionally, the government is giving a support pension of ₹2016 to beedi workers, single women, teachers, and dialysis victims. Due to the provision of pensions to eligible individuals, the number of beneficiaries has increased by an additional 15,33,483 compared to 2014, taking the total number of beneficiaries of support pensions to 43,81,338.
The Telangana government has provided ₹58,696.25 crore in financial assistance from 2014 to 2022-23 under Asara pensions. Now, with the increased support for the disabled, the annual pension under this scheme will reach ₹11,712 crore.
Recently, in a significant move, the government has increased the pension for differently-abled individuals to ₹4,016. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao explained that due to the increase in pension, the disabled in the State will receive financial support of ₹205.48 crore per month. He further explained that before the advent of Telangana, only 3,57,000 differently-abled persons were receiving only ₹17 crore at the rate of ₹500 per month. Steps have been taken to identify eligible persons through self-government, and as a result, their number has increased to 5,11,656.
Panchayat Raj Minister E. Dayakar Rao also compared the pensions given by other States and argues that they are no match to the welfarism of the Telangana government, which has also seen a huge jump in the per capita income compared to other States in the country.
Monthly pensions given to differently-abled persons in various States
Karnataka: ₹1,100
Rajasthan: ₹750
Chhattisgarh: ₹500
Uttar Pradesh: ₹1,000
Maharashtra: ₹300
Madhya Pradesh: ₹300
Andhra Pradesh: ₹3,000
Bihar: ₹500
Mizoram: ₹100
Odisha: ₹200
Jharkhand: ₹700
Tamil Nadu: ₹1,000
Kerala: ₹1,300
Telangana: ₹4,016
