Social Security Pensions – Aasara Pensions – Social Safety Net Strategy - Implementation of Aasara Social Security Pension Scheme for Persons who are Old & infirm, Widows, Differently Abled, Weavers, Toddy Tappers & with HIV-AIDS in the State - Orders - issued.

Social Security Pensions – Aasara Pensions – Social Safety Net Strategy - Implementation of Aasara Social Security Pension Scheme for Persons who are Old & infirm, Widows, Differently Abled, Weavers, Toddy Tappers & with HIV-AIDS in the State - Orders - issued.

Government of Telangana as a part of its social safety net strategy, hereby, introduces the Aasara pensions with a view to ensure secure life with dignity for all the poor. This scheme is meant to protect the most vulnerable sections of society in particular the old and infirm; people with HIV-AIDS, widows, incapacitated weavers and toddy tappers, who have lost their means of livelihood with growing age, in order to support their day to day minimum needs required to lead a life of dignity and social security. 2. In the past, social security pensions provided were meager and, barely sufficient to cover the basic minimum requirements of the needy. With a view to combat the ever-increasing cost of living and inflation, the Government, hereby, introduces a new scheme called Aasara pensions, which will provide substantial financial benefits to all the above categories, particularly those who are most needy. 3. Government with a view to identify eligible beneficiaries, conducted a comprehensive one day Samagra Kutumba Survey (SKS) of households in the State of Telangana on August 19, 2014. The data collected during the Survey is expected to form the basis of identifying the poor and vulnerable who are truly eligible for the social safety net protection, through the AASARA Pensions. Towards this purpose, instructions have already been issued vide Memo 6th cited above to commence a detailed process of identification of the poor and vulnerable. To this endeavor, District Collectors will have to strategize the identification of the most poor and vulnerable by broadly assessing exclusion and inclusion criterion. Past experiences have shown that large number of ineligible beneficiaries have managed to appropriate the benefits meant for the poor and vulnerable leading to neglect of the needy and deserving despite their being eligible for pension. Schemes implemented as social security nets are meant for protecting the poor and vulnerable by providing a means to live a life of dignity and alleviating immediate distress. There is therefore a need for utmost care to be taken to ensure that no eligible poor or vulnerable are left out in the process. District Collectors will need to correlate the data with census data of the persons who are old and infirm, with disabilities and widows for their respective district to broadly identify the number of beneficiaries under each category. Similarly, care must be taken to ensure that artisans handicapped by loss of livelihoods due to ageing are also covered adequately as opposed to granting benefits based on the community. Government after careful examination of the proposal are hereby issue the comprehensive guidelines for Aasara pensions in supercession of all order issued in the past on the subject as under: