Kakinada, Dec 2nd: The pension scheme for Self-Help Group (SHG) women, popularly known as YSR Abhayahastam has been successfully initiated on December 1 and nearly 37,000 women aged more than 60 years are to get a monthly pension of Rs 500 each in both East and West Godavari districts. The implementing agency of the pension plan, the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is making arrangements for disbursal of pension worth Rs 500 to women beneficiaries through village committees, and the process is likely to be completed by December 5.

In addition, 5.63 lakh beneficiaries aged between 18 and 59 years are enrolled and they are supposed to pay a premium worth Rs 365 per annum. State government adds the same amount on behalf of the beneficiary and pays the total amount to the LIC as premium. Each beneficiary, who enrolls in the scheme, is expected to get a monthly pension ranging between Rs 2,200 and Rs 500, depending upon at what age they enrolled in the scheme only after they cross 60 years of age. In East Godavari, 26000 women beneficiaries who crossed 60 years of age were listed during the survey, but after verification based on certain norms only 21,500 were declared eligible.