BRS promises Rs 3,000 to women, gas cylinder for Rs 400

Hyderabad: Financial assistance of Rs 3,000 to poor women, cooking gas cylinder for Rs 400, Rs 5 lakh insurance for every BPL family, increase in social security pensions and enhancement of investment support to farmers are among the major promises announced by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for next month’s Telangana assembly elections.

Aiming for a third consecutive term in power, the BRS has promised more than what Congress had announced under six guarantees last month.

The Congress had promised financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for every woman and cooking gas cylinder for Rs 500. It had also promised financial assistance of Rs 15,000 per acre for farmers and monthly social security pension of Rs 4,000 for various beneficiaries.

BRS promised that under the Sowbhagya Laxmi scheme, women belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) will get monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000.

Releasing the BRS election manifesto on Sunday, BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao promised that cooking gas cylinders for BPL families will be provided for Rs 400.

Social security pension for various categories of beneficiaries under Asara pension will be increased to Rs 5,000 in five years from present Rs 2,016. After March 2024, the pension amount will be increased to Rs 3,016 and it will be enhanced every year by taking it to Rs 5,000 in the fifth year.

For the physically handicapped, the pension will be increased from current Rs 4,016 to Rs 6,016 over next five years. After March 2024, the amount will be increased to Rs 5,000 and every year it will be increased by Rs 300.

KCR also announced an insurance scheme for all BPL families. ‘KCR Bima’ scheme will cover 93 lakh families who live Below Poverty Line (BPL) and hold ration cards.

For every family, the government will pay a premium of Rs 3,600 to 4,000 to the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC).

Under the scheme, Rs 5 lakh insurance will be paid to the beneficiary family in the event of the death of the head of the family.

The investment support for farmers under ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme will be increased from Rs 10,000 per year to Rs15,000 per year. In the first year, the amount will be increased to Rs12,000.

KCR promises that if BRS is voted to power again, the coverage under Arogyasri health insurance scheme will be increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs15 lakh.

The BRS also promised that fine rice will be supplied to BPL families through ration shops. Houseless poor will be provided house sites.

He also announced that one residential school in every constituency will be established for the poor among the upper castes.

The BRS chief also promised that a committee of officials will be constituted to study the demand of government employees to restore the old pension policy.

The party also promised to bring a special policy for orphans.

IANS