Telangana government’s latest orders announcing implementation of increased pensions for old age people under Aasara and for others including disabled and women, with effect from June 1 have incurred criticism from the Congress party.
Telangana PCC spokesman Syed Nizamuddin said the party would welcome the orders issued by K Chandrasekhar Rao government but wondered why the hike was not being implemented with retrospective effect from December 13, 2018, when the TRS came into power.
As per the GO, the increased pensions for old aged, widows, weavers, toddy tappers, AIDS-affected persons, beedi workers, single women and Filaria patients with effect from June and payable in July.
Nizamuddin said that it was the Congress party which originally promised to double the pension amount if voted to power in last assembly elections.
The TRS simply copied the idea and KCR just added Rs 16 to the amount and promised to Rs 2,016 monthly pension.
"People believed TRS and voted for it. Elections results were declared on December 11 and KCR took oath on December 13, 2018. This promise should have been fulfilled immediately, with effect from December 13 or maximum from the month of January 2019,” he said.
Therefore, the Congress party demands that the enhanced pension amount be paid with retrospective affect from December 13, 2018, when KCR took oath as CM for second term, he demanded.
Similarly, the Congress leader said that the TRS Govt had promised to enhance Rythu Bandhu amount from present Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 per acre per annum. There is still no clarity when this enhanced amount will be given, he said.
He demanded that the enhanced amount for Rythu Bandhu scheme and unemployment allowance should be paid with retrospective effect from December 13, 2018.
