Boost for old age pension scheme
Pensioners can heave a sigh of relief with the rural development ministry finally sanctioning Rs 697.97 crore as additional central assistance under the National Social Assistance Programme to 28 states.
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: Pensioners can heave a sigh of relief with the rural development ministry finally sanctioning Rs 697.97 crore as additional central assistance under the National Social Assistance Programme to 28 states.
Bihar, Assam, AP, MP, UP, Maharashtra, Orissa and Jharkhand will be among top notchers.
The amount is primarily meant to meet increased pension outgo from August to October ’06 under the National Old Age Pension Scheme. The rate of pension, in a long overdue move, was increased from a paltry Rs 75 to Rs 200 per month per beneficiary for this year.
The announcement had come in the FM’s budget speech. RD minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has urged states to make an equal contribution in order to increase the actual quantum of pension per month per person to Rs 400. The distribution of pension at revised rates is to become operative with immediate effect.
Since the inception of the programme in ’95, shockingly enough, the rate of pension remained unchanged at Rs 75 per person per month as central share for the NOAPS’ 85 lakh odd beneficiaries.
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With the revised norm, the current level of outgo will increase to Rs 2,800 crore per annum. This will include outgo for BPL beneficiaries of the Annapurna Scheme, under which 10 kgs of food grain are provided free of cost to the aged not covered under the NOAPS.Download
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