Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday announced increase in monthly pension amount under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) by Rs500, a Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) press release read.
This will have effect from this month and will be paid between February 20 and February 25, it added.
Under the MBPY scheme, beneficiaries up to 79 years of age were eligible for a monthly pension of Rs500, while those beyond 80 years Rs700 per month. Similarly, beneficiaries with 60 per cent or more disability and above 80 years of age were eligible for a monthly pension of Rs900.
They will now get Rs1,000, Rs1,200 and Rs1,400 per month, respectively, the release said.
The state will now spend Rs3,683 crore towards payment of pension under social security schemes, it said.
The amount was Rs2,685 crore till January.
Similarly, ahead of the 2019 general elections for the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly, the state government had raised the pension amount by Rs200 under various social security schemes.
It can be mentioned here that the beneficiaries include elderly, widows, persons with disabilities, unmarried women, AIDS patients, transgenders, orphan children and widows of COVID victims. In 2008, the state government introduced the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) after merging two old schemes of the 1980s.
PNN & Agencies