ବିଜୁ ଜନତା ଦଳ

Similarly, beneficiaries with 60 per cent or more disability and above 80 years of age were eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 900.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced a hike of Rs 500 in monthly pension under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY). The CMO in a statement said around 36.75 lakh beneficiaries would get the revised pension from February. They will receive the minimum enhanced amount of Rs 1,000 from this month.

In 2018, the Odisha government had launched its own pension scheme-MBPY for those left out of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The beneficiaries include elderly, widows, PwDs, cured leprosy, unmarried and divorced women, AIDS patients, transgenders, orphan children and widows and children of Covid victims.

Beneficiaries up to 79 years of age were eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 500, while those beyond 80 years were getting Rs 700 per month under the MBPY scheme. Similarly, beneficiaries with 60 per cent or more disability and above 80 years of age were eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 900.

“Now the beneficiaries below 80 years and above will get Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,200 respectively. Those with 60 per cent or more disability and above 80 years of age will get Rs 1,400,” the CMO said.

Sources said, the pension provided to elderly, PwDs, widows, and transgenders in Odisha is still less as compared to many other states. Apart from 36.75 lakh beneficiaries under MBPY, the state has 21 lakh under NSAP for which the Centre provides Rs 200 and Rs 500 per person, aged 60-79 years and 80 years or above respectively while the states add the rest as top up.

As per data available with the Ministry of Rural Development, Andhra adds the highest Rs 2,550 for old age pension, followed by Haryana (Rs 2,500), Delhi and Puducherry (Rs 2,300), Telangana (Rs 1,816), Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Rs 1,800), Himachal Pradesh (Rs 1,500) and Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh (Rs 800).

Additional assistance

36.75 L beneficiaries to get revised pension from Feb

Beneficiaries below 80 years and above to get Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,200 respectively

Those with 60 pc or more disability and above 80 years of age will get Rs 1,400.