Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday disbursed the first installment of the hiked pension amount of Rs 1,100 per month to the bank accounts of 1.11 crore beneficiaries, including senior citizens, widows and differently abled people, covered under the social security pension scheme.
More than Rs 1,227 crore was credited under six different pension schemes during a function organised at Sankalp, 1, Anne Marg, in the state capital.
On June 24, Bihar government had on June 24 increased the pension amount from Rs 400 per month to Rs 1,100.
Speaking on the occasion, Nitish said, “The elderly are an important part of society and ensuring a dignified life for them is our government`s top priority. It will continue to make efforts in this direction.” He said that the state government would ensure that the pension amount was disbursed on the 10th of every month. Bihar government is also committed to the overall development of women in the state, he added.
CM said that the state government was making consistent efforts for the empowerment and welfare of women, adding that the government had taken several initiatives for their education, security and employment. “Before 2005, no step was taken for women's empowerment and development, he added.
He said that he had committed mistakes in the past by joining hands with the opposition in Bihar but he was now with NDA and would remain with the alliance forever, and work for the development of the state."
The state’s social welfare department operates six pension programmes, including the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana and the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme.
Madhubani district has the highest number of 5,53,848 beneficiaries for these schemes, followed by 5,26,339 beneficiaries in Patna, the officials said.
With 71,971 beneficiaries, Sheikhpura has the lowest count of them, where a total of Rs 7.95 crore was disbursed, officials informed.
