Cong demands reinstatement of pensions for disabled

Nandyal: Nandyal District Congress Committee (DCC) President and AICC member Lakshmi Narasimha Yadav on Friday demanded that the government restore pensions to disabled persons who were recently declared ineligible during the re-verification process.

Addressing the media at the Congress office in Nandyal, he alleged that the ruling NDA coalition was neglecting welfare and development while focusing on removing pensions of the elderly and disabled.

“It is distressing to see the government targeting those who are physically handicapped. Voters who brought this government to power are now being abandoned,” Yadav said, asserting that the Congress party would fight to protect the rights of the differently abled.

He criticised the medical verification camps that led to many pensioners being disqualified. While the removal of fake claimants was welcome, he said, the authorities had wrongly denied pensions to several genuine beneficiaries. “Earlier, a 30% disability was sufficient for eligibility, but now even those with more than 40% disability are being rejected.

This is a serious lapse and a blemish on the governance of the NDA coalition,” Yadav said. He demanded that the officials responsible for these faulty assessments be suspended. Yadav called upon Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Minister Nara Lokesh to immediately offer a fresh re-verification option and ensure a fair review for all those declared ineligible. Warning of widespread protests if corrective measures are not taken, he announced that Congress would mobilise disabled persons across districts to launch a “Chalo Amaravati” agitation. Several district leaders, including Vice-President Balaswamy, General Secretaries L Nagalingam, Salam Ram Anjaneyulu, Razak Hussain, Dhanunjay and Raman Theatres, were present.