Latest news with #NationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeScheme
Hans India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Minister lays foundation for bridge over Chitravathi river
Gorantla: BC Welfare Minister S Savitha laid foundation stone for a high-level bridge over Chitravathi river at Budili village in Gorantla mandal on Wednesday. The bridge, with estimated cost of Rs 8.52 crore, is being constructed with assistance from PMGSY funds in collaboration with Central and State governments. The project is expected to be completed and operational by 2027. Speaking at the event, Minister Savitha claimed of fulfilling her promise given to Budili villagers, who requested for a bridge, and credited Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for promptly approving funds after she raised the issue. She also announced infrastructure developments in the region, including construction of CC roads and canals worth Rs 6 crore under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. In Budili alone, Rs 20 lakh has already been spent, and an additional Rs 20 lakh proposal has been submitted. She revealed that Rs 26 lakh from CM Relief Fund was allocated to 26 beneficiaries in the village for medical aid this year. Under the housing scheme, Minister Savitha said funds will be released to 56 beneficiaries with house sites in the first phase. In the second phase, eligible poor families will receive house sites and construction assistance.
News18
24-06-2025
- General
- News18
Aasara Pension Scheme: Telangana Plans Massive Audit To Weed Out Fake Beneficiaries
Last Updated: The Telangana government plans mandatory social audits of the Aasara pension scheme to weed out ineligible beneficiaries and ensure only the truly deserving receive support If you are a regular recipient of a government pension, it's crucial to stay informed about recent developments. The Telangana state government has taken a significant step to ensure the Aasara pension scheme is implemented more transparently and equitably. In pursuit of this goal, it plans to conduct social audits to closely examine how the scheme is functioning. Social audits, previously used in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), have proven effective in uncovering irregularities and recovering misallocated funds. Now, a similar audit mechanism is being considered for the Aasara pension programme. The Aasara Pension Scheme is a flagship social welfare programme launched by the Government of Telangana in 2014, aimed at offering financial support to the most vulnerable sections of society; those who are unable to work due to old age, disability, or challenging social circumstances. The scheme is designed to ensure a basic standard of living and a sense of dignity for these individuals. The scheme provides pensions to several categories of beneficiaries, including senior citizens (aged 60 and above), widows, persons with disabilities (PWDs), single women (particularly those who are unmarried or abandoned), handloom weavers, and people living with HIV/AIDS. The monthly pension amount varies by category. Most beneficiaries receive Rs 2,000 per month, while individuals with disabilities are provided with an enhanced pension of Rs 3,000 per month. These amounts are aimed at covering basic needs and reducing dependency on others. Pension payments are disbursed directly into the beneficiaries' bank or post office accounts, helping reduce delays and leakages. Biometric verification is commonly used to ensure that the benefits reach the rightful recipients. To qualify for the scheme, applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria. They must be residents of Telangana and belong to low-income households, typically those falling under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. Moreover, those who already receive government pensions or are income taxpayers are not eligible. Who Are The Genuine Beneficiaries Of Aasara Pension Scheme? In the former Mahabubnagar district of Telangana alone, there are 395,852 Aasara pension recipients. These include the elderly, disabled individuals, widows, handloom weavers, toddy tappers, beedi workers, single women, and people living with HIV/AIDS, among others. However, concerns have emerged over recent years that ineligible individuals may be receiving pensions. To rectify this, a compulsory social audit will be carried out to verify the legitimacy of each beneficiary and ensure that the scheme benefits only those truly in need. This move is part of the government's broader commitment to transparent governance. What Should Pensioners Expect? Pensioners should be prepared for field inspections and have relevant documentation ready. Going forward, eligibility criteria will be strictly enforced. The Telangana government is expected to release detailed inspection guidelines, which will apply at both village and ward levels and involve public officials, elected representatives, and local volunteers. Concerns About Fake Claims To Aasara Scheme The disability quota is a key component of the Aasara scheme. However, there have been serious allegations that individuals who are not genuinely disabled are receiving pensions under this quota. In one village in the Narayanpet district, a preliminary inspection found that 30% of recipients under the disabled category may have obtained benefits using fraudulent certificates, often with the assistance of intermediaries. There have also been reports of individuals manipulating their age on Aadhaar cards to qualify for old-age pensions prematurely. Such practices undermine the integrity of the entire welfare system. Social Audits Aim To Prevent These Malpractices The government is making social audits mandatory as a means of preventing fraud and misuse. These audits will help identify ineligible claimants, remove them from the scheme, and restore benefits to the truly deserving. Guidelines are currently being drafted, and the government aims to compile detailed reports, examine them officially, and act decisively against misuse. Is Pension Distribution Currently Transparent? At present, pensions in rural areas are distributed through the Postal Department, with biometric (fingerprint) verification. However, reports indicate a lack of transparency in some locations. In instances where beneficiaries are unable to provide fingerprints, Panchayat Secretaries have reportedly stepped in to facilitate disbursement, leaving the process vulnerable to abuse or misappropriation. top videos View all The government is addressing the issue with urgency. It is preparing a robust framework for social inspections, including clearly defined procedures on who will conduct inspections, under whose supervision, and how findings will be recorded and verified. The implementation will involve Panchayat-level staff, village volunteers, and local councils, ensuring oversight and accountability at the grassroots level. This initiative signals a strong shift towards ensuring that public funds are used properly and fairly, providing support only to those who meet the established criteria. First Published:
Hans India
20-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Govt keen on promoting farm mechanisation
Nellore: Scarcity agriculture labourers when the farm operations are picking up is giving impetus to farm mechanisation in the district. Shortage of labourers, apparently due to majority of them taking up works under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is forcing more farmers to adopt farm machinery. According to sources, around five lakh farmers in the district have taken up paddy cultivation in about five lakh acres during the monsoon season. Famers observe that thousands of labourers migrated to other States as house construction workers, coupled with introduction of NREGS, lack of laborers has become a huge problem as majority of them are preferring to take up works under the job scheme than working in the fields. To overcome this problem, the State government is proposed to sanction nine varieties of instruments like rotators, cultivators, mould board ploughs, seed-cum-fertiliser drills mini tractors, inter cultivators, plant protectors etc. These instruments would be provided under cultivation budget, Rastriya Vikas Yojana, at 70 percent subsidy. Apart from this, 50 percent subsidy would be provided by the Central government while 20 per cent will be provided by the State government. As part of this initiative, district Collector O Anand has distributed 142 types of various farm instruments worth Rs 6.8 crore under farm mechanisation scheme at a programme at Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University and Agriculture Research Station (ARS) in Muthukuru Road in the city on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, Collector Anand has said the aim of the government in encouraging farm mechanisation is to ease the farmers from the burden of labour and securing better profits with less investments. District Agriculture Officer P Satyavani has said under these schemes farmers should farm groups to purchase heavy instruments like paddy translators, harvesters, power weeders, brush cutters etc as the government is keen on providing farm instruments at very low cost offering subsidies in a big way.
New Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Andhra Pradesh doubles horticulture subsidies to support chilli farmers in Palnadu
GUNTUR: Amid growing concerns over the viability of traditional crops like chilli, which occupy 46,000 out of 48,000 hectares of horticulture land in Palnadu district, the State government has significantly increased subsidies for horticulture crops for the 2025-26 financial year. The move is expected to boost the income of farmers and also horticulture. Speaking to TNIE, Palnadu District Horticulture Officer (DHO) Ramana Reddy said that over 90,000 farmers are engaged in horticulture in the district, out of which over 85% farmers are involved in chilli cultivation. However, the plummeting price of various chilli varieties led to widespread losses. 'To prevent losses and benefit the farmers, the State government has doubled subsidies for horticultural crops in 2025-26. This substantial increase will encourage more farmers to shift to horticulture, which offers better returns than traditional crops,' he said. The revamped support scheme includes not just the distribution of fruit saplings, but a comprehensive three-year subsidy covering maintenance, irrigation, fertilisers, and pesticides. Under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), small and marginal farmers with up to five acres of land are eligible for 100% subsidy-including free saplings and full support for orchard development.
New Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BRS sought BJP merger before Kavitha's arrest: Minister Bandi
KARIMNAGAR: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar claimed that the BRS had explored a merger with the BJP even before the arrest of BRS MLC K Kavitha in the Delhi liquor scam. But the BJP refused to entertain the proposal, he added. Addressing a gathering at the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation on Saturday, Sanjay accused the Congress of stoking controversies around Kavitha and BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) to deflect attention from its failure to implement the promised six guarantees. He criticised Congress leaders as ineffective and accused the party of failing to fulfill its commitments. Later, he inaugurated development projects worth Rs 2.63 crore under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Gangadhara mandal and laid the foundation stone for a Rs 2.33 crore high-level bridge in Venkatraopalle, Rajanna Sircilla district. Sanjay praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) but noted that farmers still aren't receiving fair prices. He blamed both the KCR-led and Congress-led governments for betraying the farming community. He also condemned Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's remarks as "seditious," alleging they undermined the confidence of the Army. He said the Congress lacks faith in the armed forces and questioned why Pakistan-occupied Kashmir wasn't reclaimed during Indira Gandhi's tenure if her leadership was truly strong.
