Hyderabad, October 15: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), vying for a third consecutive term in power, has unveiled a series of substantial promises in the run-up to the upcoming Telangana assembly elections. These commitments appear to surpass the pledges made by the Congress party in their recently announced six guarantees.
Under the BRS’s Sowbhagya Laxmi scheme, women classified as Below Poverty Line (BPL) recipients are set to receive monthly financial aid of Rs 3,000. Additionally, BPL families will be able to obtain cooking gas cylinders for a mere Rs 400, making clean energy more accessible.
Social security pensions, which fall under the Asara pension initiative, are due for a significant boost. Over the next five years, the pension amounts for various categories of beneficiaries will increase. Currently set at Rs 2,016, they will climb to Rs 5,000. The pension amount will further elevate to Rs 3,016 after March 2024, with yearly increments ultimately reaching Rs 5,000 in the fifth year.
Physically handicapped individuals will also witness an increase in their pensions. From the present Rs 4,016, it will ascend to Rs 6,016 over the next five years, with a jump to Rs 5,000 after March 2024, and subsequent annual increments of Rs 300.
BRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao unveiled the ‘KCR Bima’ scheme, a comprehensive insurance program designed to cover 93 lakh BPL families holding ration cards. The government will pay a premium of Rs 3,600 to 4,000 to the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) for each family, ensuring that, in the event of the head of the family’s demise, the beneficiary family receives Rs 5 lakh in insurance benefits.
Farmers are also in for greater support under the ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme, with annual investment assistance increasing from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. In the initial year, this amount will rise to Rs 12,000.
Further, K. Chandrasekhar Rao pledged that, should the BRS secure power once more, the coverage under the Arogyasri health insurance scheme will see a remarkable increase from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
BRS has additionally committed to supplying fine rice to BPL families through ration shops, as well as providing house sites to the homeless in need. For underprivileged individuals from the upper castes, one residential school will be established in every constituency.
Moreover, a committee of officials will be assembled to examine government employees’ demand to restore the old pension policy. The party has also pledged to introduce a special policy to aid orphans.
The BRS’s promises, which encompass a wide array of social and economic sectors, make for a competitive pitch as the Telangana assembly elections draw near.
