Implementation of the Old Age Pension Scheme

Abstract

The present article aims at assessing the implementation of the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS) in Visakhapatnam district. The study focuses on the aspects relating to the identification of pensioners, perceptions of the pensioners about the disbursement and management of funds and on the new initiative in the management of the old age pension scheme entrusted to a SHG Samakhya. Multi-stage sampling method was used to select a sample of 185 old age pensioners from 18 villages chosen randomly from 9 mandals of the district. As part of the study, two leaders of the SHG Samakhya, village level functionaries, and one functionary at DRDA level were interviewed. The study highlights the role of political influence at the level of identification of the beneficiaries and throws light on the procedures adopted by the officials in enlisting the pensioners and the pensioners' opinion about the implementation of the NOAPS in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh (A.P).