Key Update on NTR Bharosa Pensions

A total of 13.65 lakh applications have been received across Andhra Pradesh under the NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme. These include 6.88 lakh applications for old-age pensions, 2.97 lakh for widow pensions, 1.81 lakh for persons with disabilities, 21,565 for handloom workers, 31,825 for fishermen, 16,430 for toddy tappers, 9,201 for single women, 50,972 for Dappu artistes, 67,853 for traditional cobblers and 800 applications under the transgender category. The six-level scrutiny process at the MPDO and municipal commissioner level has been completed. Around 1.42 lakh applicants in the old-age, widow, single-woman, fishermen and handloom categories were found ineligible.

The large number of widow pension applications has drawn attention during the verification process. Around 38,121 applicants in this category were found ineligible, while officials identified nearly 49,000 cases in which the deceased husband’s name was still present on the ration card. Officials found that some families had retained the name to continue receiving ration benefits even after the husband’s death. Under the current pension structure, eligible beneficiaries in the five major categories receive Rs 4,000 per month. Based on the scrutiny so far, the monthly expenditure for these categories is estimated at Rs 362.26 crore, translating into an annual expenditure of Rs 4,348.47 crore.