Puttaparthi: Sri Sathya Sai district Joint Collector M Maurya Bharadwaj on Wednesday participated in the NTR Bharosa pension distribution programme at Kappala Banda village in Puttaparthi mandal and personally distributed pensions to beneficiaries at their doorsteps.

As part of the initiative, the Joint Collector visited the residence of Raghavayya Naidu, a differently-abled beneficiary, and personally handed over a cash pension of Rs15,000.

He interacted with beneficiaries to ascertain whether pensions were being received regularly and enquired about any issues faced during distribution. He also sought feedback on the conduct of officials involved in pension delivery, including whether beneficiaries were treated with respect and dignity.

Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the State government and district administration for ensuring that pensions were distributed a day in advance, on December 31, in view of the New Year, enabling timely financial support.

The Joint Collector reviewed village-wise pension statistics, including the total number of pensions sanctioned and the number distributed so far.

He instructed officials to ensure 100 per cent distribution of pensions without any lapses. He also issued necessary directions to officials on effective implementation and monitoring of the programme.

Officials present during the programme included RDO Suvarna, DRDA Project Director Narasayya, Tahsildar Kalyan Chakravarthy, MPDO, and secretariat staff.

The door-to-door distribution initiative was aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and timely delivery of welfare benefits to eligible beneficiaries.