TDP Under Fire: 4 Lakh Pensioners Axed From NTR Bharosa Scheme, Protests Erupt

Unrest has prevailed in Andhra Pradesh over the last few days as specially-abled citizens have been agitating against the TDP-led NDA government for withdrawing their names from the pension scheme.

In a shocking development, the Chandrababu Naidu government has decided to indiscriminately remove scores of beneficiaries from the NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme. The lives of thousands of disabled people, who are dependent on monthly financial aid, now hang in the balance.

Despite eligible citizens possessing disability certificates to prove the extent of their disability, the TDP government is demanding that they obtain new ones. The process of securing these certificates has become so complicated that even a physically fit person would find it exhausting.

Soon after assuming power, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu increased monthly pensions for the elderly, widows, single women, handloom workers, toddy tappers, fishermen, transgenders, and artists from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000. For differently-abled individuals, the pension was raised from ₹3,000 to ₹6,000.

The NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme was launched amid much pomp and was widely advertised. However, one year later, the TDP government stands accused of deceiving pensioners by subjecting them to severe stress in the name of re-certification.

It has come to light that over one lakh pensioners have received notices in the past 10 days, while more than four lakh have already been removed from the scheme since the TDP alliance came to power. The numbers reflect the sharp decline: under the previous YSRCP government, there were 66.34 lakh pensioners in the state, but as of August 2025, that number has dropped to 62.19 lakh.

Disabled pensioners have since taken to the streets after receiving notices that they would no longer receive monthly aid from September 1. Coming down heavily on the government, they have accused Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu of showing no empathy.

Beneficiaries have questioned why their names have been removed when they have been receiving pensions for over a decade. Protests have erupted across the state as pensioners voiced their anger and disappointment.

One particularly heart-wrenching story emerged from Vijayawada. Pandungula Chinnapareddy, a resident of Bhavanipuram, injured his spinal cord in 2022 after falling from a tree, leaving his legs completely paralyzed. His wife has cared for him daily since the accident. Doctors certified him with a 90% disability, and in 2023, then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy granted him ₹10 lakh in financial assistance along with a monthly pension of ₹10,000.

However, under the new administration, his disability has been re-certified at 85%, and his pension reduced to ₹6,000. The family is now in despair, struggling to maintain their household and secure their children’s education.

The controversy surrounding the NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme has ignited widespread protests among Andhra Pradesh’s differently-abled citizens. What was once presented as a welfare measure now threatens to undermine the dignity and survival of thousands who rely on it. Unless the government urgently addresses the concerns of beneficiaries and ensures transparency in the re-certification process, the unrest could deepen, leaving the most vulnerable sections of society further marginalized.