Hyderabad: Many disabled people in Hyderabad have been waiting for years to get approval for the Aasara pension scheme. This pension is meant to help those who are physically disabled by providing them with financial support. However, many applications have not been processed, causing problems for people who depend on this money.
The government of Telangana introduced the Aasara Pension Scheme to help the disabled and other groups in need. But according to reports, thousands of applications have been pending for more than five years. In each circle of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), there are said to be between 1,500 and 3,000 applications still waiting for approval. People who applied for the pension say the delay is making their lives harder.
Activist K Srinivas Varma said that in every GHMC circle, hundreds of applications have been stuck for over four years. He explained that the previous government under the BRS party did not approve new applications, and the current government has not yet taken action to address this issue.
Srinivas also wrote a letter to the Chief Minister’s office, the Municipal Administration, and the Municipal Corporation. In his letter, he highlighted the problem of these long-pending applications. He pointed out that about 3,000 applications are pending in the Alwal municipal office alone. He believes the total number of pending applications across GHMC and the state could be much higher.
He urged the government to take immediate steps to help these physically disabled people, who have been waiting for 4 to 5 years. Srinivas also suggested the government should focus less on schemes like free bus travel and instead prioritize clearing these pension applications. He further requested that the pension amount be increased and that additional support such as healthcare and education be provided.
Another activist, Mohammed Ahmed from the Old City, said that even those whose applications have been approved are not getting their pensions on time. He mentioned that many elderly and disabled people are unhappy with the delays in receiving their money.
These delays in giving out Aasara pensions are creating serious problems for the disabled. Many of them depend on this money to buy medicines and take care of their daily needs. Without timely support, their struggles only grow harder.
