No eligible person should miss pension, CS to collectors

Vijayawada: Chief secretary K Vijayanand issued a clear directive, stating that every eligible person in the state must receive their pension. He warned that if any complaint about a missed pension reaches the government, the respective district collector will be held responsible.

The chief secretary made the remarks during a video conference with district collectors on Thursday, where he reviewed various topics, including minor irrigation tanks, groundwater, land-related issues for the PM-KUSUM scheme, pensions, the establishment of district Juvenile Justice Committees, and matters concerning the Indian Air Force.

Vijayanand stressed that collectors must give the highest priority to pension distribution and ensure that all eligible individuals receive their benefits. He mandated that Collectors, along with district and mandal-level special officers, must personally participate in the monthly pension distribution events.

“If there is a complaint, whether through media, social media, or any other channel, that an eligible person has not received their pension, the District Collector will be held entirely responsible,” Vijayanand reiterated.

He also addressed the issue of pension appeals. Out of 1.35 lakh individuals who were issued notices, 88,319 have filed appeals with their MPDOs, while 23,000 have yet to do so. The Chief Secretary instructed Collectors to resolve all appeals within the one-month deadline to prevent any negative media coverage.

Further, the chief secretary reviewed the status of minor irrigation tanks, groundwater recharge efforts, land issues for the PM-KUSUM scheme, and the availability of urea.

CCLA G Jayalakshmi, RTGS CEO Prakhar Jain, information and public relations commissioner Himanshu Shukla, agriculture director Dilli Rao, and NEDCAP MD Kamalakara and other senior officials too attended the review.