UP Muslims to get 25% quota in new pension scheme

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party government is set to launch yet another populist scheme - Samajwadi Party Pension Yojana, earmarking a quota of 25 per cent for Muslim families. The scheme will aim at providing financial assistance of Rs 500 per month for the extremely poor.

In the second year, this amount would be enhanced to Rs 750 per month.

The new scheme will entail an annual expenditure of Rs 2,400 crore, said the director of the social welfare department. He said applications have been sought from the potential beneficiaries to complete the required formalities.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had highlighted his government's new pension scheme aggressively in the election campaign and had also promised he would implement it soon. The government machinery started implementation of the scheme after the Lok Sabha elections when the model code of conduct provisions were lifted.

The government order (GO) for the scheme states that 30 per cent beneficiaries would be from the SC/ST category, 25 per cent from the Muslim community and 45 per cent from OBC and General categories.

The ruling party's other populist schemes include free laptops for students, financial assistance of Rs 20,000 to every Muslim girl which runs by the slogan - 'Humari beti uska kal', the Kanya Vidya Dhan scheme and unemployment allowance etc.

The Samajwadi Party had promised 18 per cent job reservation to Muslims, who constitute around 18 per cent of the population, but it has so far not been able to implement the plan. The government, however, is giving reservations to Muslims in other schemes.