Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said real welfare is illuminating the lives of people and called the pensions distribution programme as a step towards improving their living standards.
The chief minister made these observations at a public meeting in Penumaka village in Guntur district, following participating in the first welfare pensions disbursal programme of the new NDA government.
"This is the first step towards improving the living standards of the people," said Naidu at Penumaka Masjid centre after he personally handed over pension money to Islavath Sai, Banavath Pamulyanayak and Banavath Sita in their hut.
Reminding that he took oath as the CM for the fourth time with the blessings of all the people, Naidu said the new government has launched the pension distribution scheme as a first step towards fulfilling the promises made to people.
Promising to focus on the poor, he said his dream is to see a poverty-free society without economic imbalances and exhorted that their thinking is innovative.
Further, the CM noted that there is an immediate need to check spiralling prices of all essential commodities and assured to fulfil the promises of filling up vacant teacher posts and setting up Anna Canteens, among others.
Renamed as 'NTR Bharosa Samajika Pensions', the NDA government comprising the TDP, BJP and Janasena hiked the state-wide welfare pensions scheme from Rs 3,000 per month provided during the previous YSRCP government to Rs 4,000 per month.
Earlier, as part of the programme, the chief minister visited Islavath Sai's hut and chatted with the family members for some time and then personally handed over the pension money to three beneficiaries.
"I am sanctioning a house for you. We will build a house for you," said Naidu to the family members, and directed district officials to team up with the Campus Region Development Authority (CRDA) officials to build houses for eligible persons in Penumaka area.
Over a cup of tea, he emphasised the importance of education to family members and also enterprising nature to supplement their income.
The state government started the procedure to disburse Rs 7,000 as pension to eligible beneficiaries, which includes the enhanced amount of Rs 1,000 each for April, May and June, along with July's pension of Rs 4,000.
The Rs 1,000 hike in monthly pensions has raised the financial burden on the state government by Rs 819 crore while a similar amount for the preceding three months has put on an additional burden of Rs 1,650 crore.
The southern state will disburse Rs 4,408 crore on welfare pensions alone on Monday.
Over 65 lakh beneficiaries under 28 categories will benefit. The new government has also increased pensions to eligible specially-abled persons from Rs 3,000 per month to Rs 6,000 per month.