Atal Pension Yojana design best, guarantees minimum 8% return, Sitharaman says refuting Congress’ charges

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman strongly defended the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) against Congress accusations, emphasising its beneficial design for subscribers. She highlighted the scheme’s automatic premium payment continuation feature and guaranteed minimum 8% return, countering claims of poor design. Sitharaman criticised Congress for misinformation, asserting the APY’s benefits for retirement savings and proper targeting for lower-income individuals.