Bankrupt govt cutting number of pensions, alleges Somireddy

PNS|NELLORE

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader and former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy has said that the government has decided to reduce the number of social security pensions as it is bankrupt.

Talking to the media here on Tuesday, he predicted that not only social security pensions but also ‘Ammavodi’, ‘Chedodu’, and ‘Vidya Deevena’ schemes would also be reduced soon.

“The YSRCP leaders are plundering huge wealth but the common men are deprived of their legitimate rights. We will vehemently oppose cutting the number of beneficiaries of welfare schemes. The TDP will stand by the beneficiaries,” Somireddy announced. Since the government has become financially bankrupt, it has decided to cancel thousands of social security pensions, Somireddy said, adding that over 20,000 social security pensioners in the combined Nellore district had been cancelled citing various reasons.

He lamented that pensions are being cancelled citing reasons that the beneficiaries have three acres of agriculture wetland or 10 acres of upland, consuming over 300 units of power and other such reasons.

He said that the DRA PD told them that all pensions would be disbursed on January 1, but at the same time, the district Collector made it clear after conducting an inquiry on those who were served notices, the pension would be disbursed and if it is proved the beneficiaries are eligible for a pension, otherwise, the payment would be stopped.

“We do not believe that an impartial inquiry will be conducted to ascertain the authentication of eligibility of pension beneficiaries in two days,” Somireddy said. “Now the social security pensions are being catcalled. Tomorrow the Ammavodi, Vahanamitra, Chedodu, Vidya Deevena, and other schemes will also be cancelled to the beneficiaries citing various reasons. Since the government has no money to implement any welfare schemes, it is cancelling the schemes to the beneficiaries,” he deplored.

Somireddy questioned the minister and MLAs what they were doing when pensions were being weeded out to the beneficiaries. The YSRCP leaders were busy earning money through real estate, layouts, gravel, sand and soil extraction while the poor were being deprived of their legitimate benefits, he slammed.

The irrigation department has become a hub for scams and crores of rupees being plundered by the ruling party leaders, he flayed. The TDP leaders led by Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy submitted a memorandum to the Collector urging him to stop weeding out social security pensions.