The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Pension for disabled hiked

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Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Pension for disabled hiked

Special Correspondent

Move to benefit about 8.28 lakh people across the State

— Photos: Mohd. Yousuf

helping hand: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy giving away the revised pension amount to a physically-challenged person in Hyderabad on Monday.

HYDERABAD: The State government has announced a hefty hike in the monthly pensions being paid to physically-challenged persons.

Accordingly, the monthly pension for persons with more than 40 per cent disability has been increased to Rs. 500, for those with 60 per cent to 80 per cent disability to Rs. 600 and Rs. 700 in case of those with more than 80 per cent disability. The move would benefit about 8.28 lakh people across the State and would entail an additional expenditure of Rs. 496.83 crore annually costing Rs. 41.4 crore every month.

Issue of certificates

Dr. Reddy, who formally launched the enhanced pension scheme coinciding with the World Disabled Day on December 3, said the scheme would be effective from December 1. He announced setting up of District Medical Boards for examination and issue of certificates to disabled.

Genuine handicapped persons could approach the boards for securing the certificates.

Recalling that the previous Telugu Desam government paid Rs. 75 as pension to about one lakh disabled, he said no other State in the country including bigger States like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh was giving pensions from infancy stage.

The hike was announced in tune with his assurance of substantial increase to provide some relief to the disabled, he added.

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