While the Andhra Pradesh government is providing a monthly pension of Rs 15,000 to those who are completely bedridden due to chronic diseases, now officials wonder that most of such pensions are fake. Doctors have been conducting tests for the past few days to ascertain their actual health condition.
Out of these, only 20 to 30 percent are found to be truly eligible. Another 40 to 50% are suffering from disability, but they are not eligible for a pension of Rs 15,000, and are only eligible for a pension of Rs 6,000 like the disabled. It is known that another 25 to 30 percent do not have any real disability.
It has been revealed that some of them are not at a level that is eligible to receive a pension. In Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema district, the concerned authorities sent medical teams to the homes of 655 people receiving a pension of Rs 15,000.
When they were tested, only 374 people were found to be eligible. It was determined that 255 more people could be given Rs. 6,000 each under the disabled quota. It was revealed that 26 more people were receiving pensions with fake certificates despite not having any health problems.
During the previous YSRCP regime, a large number of ineligible names were included in the list of beneficiaries. With this, medical teams have been visiting the homes of 24,091 beneficiaries across the state who were receiving pensions of Rs. 15,000 each since Monday and conducting diagnostic tests, and these irregularities are coming to light.
Out of 144 people tested in Anantapur district, 118 were found not to be in a ‘bedridden’ condition. Most of them were found to be eligible for a pension of Rs. 6,000 only. A survey of 80 people was conducted over 3 days in a constituency in the joint Nellore district. Of these, only 20% were found to be eligible and another 20 percent were found to be completely ineligible. It was also concluded that 60 percent of the people can be included in the disabled quota.
Of the 70 people examined in Prakasam district, 50 were found to be ineligible. The state government is providing Rs. 36.13 crore per month to 24,091 people at the rate of Rs. 15,000 per beneficiary. That is, Rs. 433.63 crore annually. However, officials estimate that half of the total beneficiaries are those who should be limited to the disabled quota.
If the final confirmation tests also show the same, they will now receive a pension of Rs. 6,000 per month. If the actual situation of those receiving a total pension of Rs. 15,000 is ascertained and only the eligible ones are identified and the ineligible ones are removed, Rs. 238 crore of public money will be saved annually.