Eligible people in Andhra Pradesh had been waiting for two years for an opportunity to apply for new pensions. However, the application window remained open for less than ten days. The pension application portal, which reopened after two years, was shut again within a few days. The government initially opened the application process on September 7 and set September 16 as the deadline. The deadline was later extended by two more days, with the process finally closing on September 18.
According to the clipping you provided, 13.63 lakh applications were registered in just nine working days. The figure reflects the level of demand among people seeking new pensions. Those who have applied are now waiting for document verification, final scrutiny, and clarity on when their pensions will actually be sanctioned.
Pension Applications Open After Two Years, Closed Within Nine Days
Eligible beneficiaries who had been waiting for an opportunity to apply for new pensions finally got their chance after two years. Applications were accepted through Swarna Gram and Swarna Ward centres from September 7. Online registration and e-KYC procedures were also undertaken.
The initial deadline was September 16. It was later extended by two more days to September 18, with the government stating that the extension was intended to provide an opportunity to all eligible applicants.
However, the clipping raises a key question: Why was such a short application window given to people who had been waiting for two years?
Senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities and other eligible beneficiaries had to arrange the required documents, submit their applications and complete e-KYC within this limited period.
Portal Closed Before Applicants Could Obtain Required Documents?
Applying for a pension involves more than simply filling out a form. Applicants are required to submit documents to establish their eligibility, including Aadhaar, rice card or income certificates and other documents relevant to their category.
For widow pensions, a husband’s death certificate may be required, while persons with disabilities need a SADAREM certificate, among other documents, as prescribed by the government.
This is where the clipping raises another concern, alleging that the application process was stopped without giving sufficient time to obtain the required certificates.
In other words, people who had waited for two years faced a short application window, pressure to arrange the necessary documents and complete e-KYC, followed by the closure of the portal. The clipping states that this left some people unable to apply for a new pension.
Claim That Applications Were Accepted Continuously During the YS Jagan Government
The clipping also refers to the previous government and states that applications for new pensions were accepted continuously during the YS Jagan government and that pensions were sanctioned to eligible beneficiaries on a satisfactory basis.
The report criticises the present government, alleging that people had to wait for two years after the change in government for an opportunity to apply for new pensions. Against this backdrop, questions are being raised over why the latest application process was closed within a few days.
Since this is a politically disputed issue, comparisons between the policies of the previous and present governments should be viewed as political claims made by the respective sides. The present government, however, announced an official schedule for accepting new pension applications from September 7.
Criticism Over New Pension Sanctions After Chandrababu Became Chief Minister
Another major political issue raised in the clipping is the allegation that new pension sanctions stopped after Chandrababu Naidu became Chief Minister.
Several reports have stated that after the coalition government came to power in 2024, existing pensions continued, but a separate application process for new pensions was not conducted for an extended period. A special process for accepting new pension applications was launched only in September 2026.
The government, meanwhile, has stated that it is spending around Rs. 2,694 crore every month on 61,92,396 existing pension beneficiaries.
Therefore, the central issue in the political debate is whether eligible people waiting for new pensions should be given application opportunities more frequently and for a sufficient period.
Were Applications Opened in the Run-Up to Local Body Elections?
The clipping also carries the political criticism that applications were accepted merely as a formality in the backdrop of the upcoming local body elections.
This is a political allegation made in the clipping. The official reason given by the government for opening the application process was to provide eligible people with an opportunity to apply for new pensions.
Minister Kondapalli Srinivas also stated that the deadline was extended to ensure that eligible applicants got an opportunity to apply.
However, the timing of the process ahead of local body elections has triggered political debate. The key question now is not only how many applications were received, but also whether the scrutiny, eligibility verification and final sanction of pensions will be completed within the expected timeframe.
Nine Working Days, 13.63 Lakh Applications!
According to the figures mentioned in the clipping, 13.63 lakh applications were registered in just nine working days.
Other recent media reports have also indicated that the number of applications was substantial. The South First reported that around 13.40 lakh applications had been received by the time the deadline ended on September 18.
Of these, around 6.80 lakh applications were reportedly for old-age pensions, 2.95 lakh for widow pensions and 1.84 lakh for pensions for persons with disabilities.
Although there is a slight difference between the figures reported by different sources, it is clear that more than 13 lakh applications were submitted for new pensions.
The next stage of processing these applications will now be crucial.
The Real Test Begins: Eligibility Verification
The closure of the application process does not mean that pensions have been sanctioned. According to the schedule announced by the government, preliminary eligibility verification was to be carried out from September 17 to 21, followed by physical and departmental verification from September 22 to 24.
The process will then move towards budget proposals and final approvals.
This means that a new stage has now begun for the applicants.
They have submitted their applications. But when will they actually receive their pensions?
That is the question being asked by lakhs of applicants.
After Waiting Two Years, Another Wait for Pension Sanction?
After two years of waiting, eligible people finally got an opportunity to apply for new pensions. But the application window closed within just a few days. More than 13 lakh applications were reportedly received.
The applications must now go through eligibility scrutiny, field-level verification, final approval and pension sanction.
At the same time, opposition groups are arguing that applications were accepted continuously in the past and that pensions were sanctioned to eligible beneficiaries, while the present government says it has now provided an opportunity for eligible people to apply for new pensions.
Amid these competing claims, the key issue for beneficiaries remains simple: When will the pensions of eligible applicants actually be sanctioned and credited to their accounts?
Two-Year Wait, Nine Working Days to Apply, and Now Another Wait for Sanction?
Two years of waiting, nine working days for applications, more than 13 lakh applications and then the portal was closed. For eligible people waiting for a pension, the story does not end with the submission of an application. In many ways, the real process begins now.
The important question is not just how many applications were received, but how many eligible applicants will ultimately receive pensions and by when those pensions will be sanctioned. The government’s response to these questions will be crucial for the lakhs of people who have applied.
If you want, I can also give you a shorter, more punchy English version suitable for a news website, while retaining all the important figures and political context.
