Mahbubnagar: Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday launched his government’s ambitious pension scheme ‘Aasara’ for the aged, physically challenged and widows at Kothur village of Shadnagar mandal in Mahbubnagar district.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that he was happy to start the scheme as per the promise he had made during election time. He further clarified that all those eligible will get their pensions.

He said in the the first month pensions will be paid in cash with each village as a unit. From next month onward, the amount would be directly deposited in the beneficiaries’ bank or post office accounts, he explained.

He said under the scheme, aged persons and widows will get Rs 1000 per month, while the physically challenged people will get Rs 1500 per month.

He announced that all the pensions currently being given stand cancelled and strict measures will be taken to stop misuse of the scheme.