Hyderabad, May 1 -- BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar has announced that the increased pension amount of Rs 4,000 per month, including the approved new pensions, will start getting disbursed once the election code ends. He also stated that the ration cards for new applicants will be issued after the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress had promised to raise the pension amount from Rs 2,116 to Rs 4,000 per month for old aged pensioners, widows, and single women, and from Rs 3,116 to Rs 6,000 per month for the differently-abled persons in the state.

A total of 24.84 lakh new applications were received for grant of pensions during the "Praja Paalana" campaign launched by the State government from December 28 to January 6. Presently, pensio...