Pension only for those with more than 40% disability, says Andhra Pradesh SERP Minister Kondapalli Srinivas

Dismissing speculation over discontinuation of the disability pensions, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) Kondapalli Srinivas on Friday said individuals with more than 40% disability would continue to receive financial support.

Addressing the media at the Secretariat, Mr. Srinivas said the government had enhanced the monthly pension for the disabled to ₹6,000 from ₹3,000 earlier, while those with complete disability were eligible for ₹15,000 financial aid.

Stating that the reverification process was aimed at weeding out irregularities rather than depriving the genuine beneficiaries of the financial support, the Minister said the exercise was necessitated after complaints of fake beneficiaries surfaced in Konaseema and Kadapa districts.

The reverification exposed more than 80,000 fake beneficiaries, who had allegedly secured disability pension using fabricated certificates during the YSRCP government’s tenure, the Minister said.

Stating that the government had embarked on a comprehensive reverification exercise of 7.95 lakh pensioners, he said, “Out of these, 5.55 lakh cases have been re-assessed through home visits and medical evaluations at 125 centers over the past nine months. Notices have been issued to those found ineligible. All manual certificates have been carefully scrutinised.”

The Minister further said that of the 80,000 fake beneficiaries, more than 20,000, who were initially deemed ineligible for disability pension, would now be accommodated under alternative schemes such as old-age and widow pensions from this month. “Those with less than 40% disability will not qualify for disability pension,” the Minister clarified.

Mr. Srinivas reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure that all genuinely eligible people continue to benefit from the welfare schemes without interruption.