Monthly assistance scheme for aged to cover more beneficiaries

Puducherry: Puducherry government on Friday said the monthly assistance scheme for the aged, widows, destitute women,transgenders and physically challenged would be expanded to bring into the list of beneficiaries 4,000 more applicants.

Speaking to reporters here, Welfare Minister said the scheme presently benefits 1.14 lakh beneficiaries by providing them a monthly aid of Rs 1000 and added that 6000 more persons would be brought into the list of beneficiaries. He said there was also a plan to raise the monthly assistance to Rs 1100 from the present Rs 1000. He said anganwadi centres through which the monthly aid was being given had mistakenly called for fresh details from the beneficiaries relating to age and income. The applications were meant to be filled by officials and forms which had already been distributed could be returned, he said. The purpose of collecting information of those getting the amount was to computerize the lists, he added. PTI