Hyderabad: Welcoming the GO issued by the TRS Government enhancing pension amount to all categories of Aasra pension beneficiaries, the Congress on Friday demanded that the hike should be from retrospective effect from December 13, 2018 or January and not June this year.
Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan, TPCC Official Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin said the State Govt issued G.O. Ms No. 34 on May 28 to enhance the pension amount of Rs 1,000 for Old Age, Widow, Weavers, Toddy Tappers, Persons with HIV-AIDS, Beedi Workers, Single Women and Filaria Patients to Rs 2,016 while the pension for Disabled will be enhanced from present Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,016 with effect from June and payable in July.
Nizamuddin said the TRS simply copied the idea and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao just added Rs 16 to the amount promised. The TRS also promised Unemployment Allowance of Rs 3,016 to jobless youth. Provision was also made in the Vote-On-Account budget for 2019-20 to pay Unemployment Allowance to nearly five lakh youth. The Govt did not even specify the criteria nor drafted any guidelines on the pretext of imposition of Model Code of Conduct. He demanded that the enhanced amount for Rythu Bandhu scheme and unemployment allowance should be paid with retrospective effect from December 13, 2018.
Hyderabad City Congress Committee (HCCC) Minorities Department Chairman Sameer Waliullah was also present. (NSS)
