Bhubaneswar, July 3: The Odisha government was working to increase the social security pension from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 per month, Minister of Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Nityananda Gond said on Tuesday.
Social security pension given to persons with disabilities, widows and senior citizens will be increased to Rs 3,000 per month following inflation after approval of the finance department, said Gond adding that works were on to estimate the budgetary requirement for implementing the hike.
The BJP in its poll manifesto had promised to increase social security pension amount to Rs 3,000 which the previous BJD government had enhanced from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 in February this year.
The BJD government had introduced Madhu Babu Pension Yojana in 2008. Under the scheme poor senior citizen, widows and persons with disabilities are getting Rs 1,000, Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,400 every month.
Now, around 57 lakh beneficiaries of the state are getting pension, including 36.75 lakh under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana.
