Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

Hike in old-age pension demanded

GUNTUR: Communist Party of India district secretary Muppala Nageswara Rao has demanded that the State Government should enhance the old-age pensions from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000.

Addressing a rally of pensioners here on Wednesday, Mr. Nageswara Rao said the State Government had miserably failed in coming to the aid of men and women, who had worked hard in various occupations, like farming, pottery and toddy taper.

Launching a scathing attack on the Government, he said though the policy-makers brag about the welfare schemes, the fact remained that only 10 per cent of the poor get the actual benefit, while the remaining 90 per cent of was being pocketed by the rich.

He said rising prices had made the condition of the poor miserable and many poor were not able to afford a full meal a day. There are 81 lakh pension holders in the State.

The rally which commenced at the Sri Venkateswara Vignana Mandiram, wound its way through Hindu College, Nagarampalem police station before reaching the collectorate.

The CPI leader alleged that the Government, which failed to provide housing sites to the teeming millions, had given away thousands of acres of cement factories and industrialists.

Mr. Rao also alleged that Minister for Ports Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao has been blatantly supporting ‘Matrix Prasad’ in the controversial coastal corridor project.

He dared the Minister to come clean on the issue.

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