Cong govt likely to open Cheyutha pensions for new applicants

Time of India

27-04-2025

Hyderabad: After the farm loan waiver and other welfare schemes, Congress is likely to open the doors for new applicants seeking Cheyutha (earlier Aasara) pensions.
The ground report received by the govt is that lakhs of people are waiting to be covered under Cheyutha.
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Even Bharat Jodo Abhiyan team, led by Yogendra Yadav, informed the Congress govt that the next priority should be opening the window for new pensioners. The team, which interacted with the people during its field visits in Telangana, received feedback that while Aasara pensions were being continued, there were lakhs more waiting to be covered under Cheyutha.
The Revanth Reddy govt is continuing the
social security pensions
(Cheyutha) to 40-odd lakh beneficiaries.
However, nearly seven lakh more were waiting to be covered, it is learnt. It is a financially-intensive scheme, with over 11,000 crore per annum presently being spent by the state govt on existing beneficiaries.
Sources in the govt said that although Congress promised to enhance the social security pensions from 2,016 per month to 4,000 per month, the first step would be to bring new applicants under the Cheyutha scheme.
As per existing monthly pensions, 2,016 was being given to weavers, single women, and widows, among others, while it was 4,016 for the visually challenged.
Presently, widows, single women, beedi workers, stone cutters, weavers, specially challenged individuals, dialysis, filaria, and HIV-positive patients below the poverty line and holding white ration cards were eligible to receive monthly Aasara pensions ranging between 2,016 and 4,016 for the visually challenged, depending upon the category of beneficiary.
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A senior officwer said the govt has given directions to all district collectors to prepare the list of people seeking Cheyutha. The Revanth Reddy govt has invited applications from the people for its various welfare schemes and received applications through the conduct of gram sabhas. Over five lakh applications were received for
Cheyutha pensions
, which were pending approval.
"The list of beneficiaries will be prepared after field visits and cross-verification of applicants door to door.
Some of the proposals are to transfer the pension to the wife if the husband, who was receiving it, dies. The officials, during their field visit, will collect documents such as ration card, Aadhaar card, bank account, pension ID, and death certificate of the beneficiary (in case of the husband's death) and cover the wife under the widow pension category. Likewise, other eligible beneficiaries' lists will be prepared.
This is likely to take a month or two," an officer said.
Though there is also a proposal to keep on hold the pensions of those who have not taken it for three months in a row by categorising them into a migration list, the officials said a final decision might be taken by the state cabinet on this proposal, along with opening the doors for new applicants for Cheyutha.