Chandigarh: Social welfare panel again recommends increase in pension

The social welfare committee urged the central government to immediately accept the proposal of increasing the monthly pension of senior citizens, widowed and disabled persons in Chandigarh

The social welfare committee has once again recommended an increase in the pension of senior citizens, widowed and disabled persons in Chandigarh from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per month.

A meeting of the social welfare committee was held on Monday evening under the chairmanship of former MP Satya Pal Jain, who highlighted that there are about 25,000 families in Chandigarh who would be benefitted from this increase in pension. (HT Photo)

A meeting of the committee was held on Monday evening under the chairmanship of former MP Satya Pal Jain. The committee urged the central government to immediately accept the proposal of increasing the monthly pension. Jain highlighted that the governments of Punjab and Haryana have already increased the pension to about ₹3,000 per month, adding that there are about 25,000 families in Chandigarh who would be benefitted from this.

The committee was informed by the social welfare department that the Chandigarh administration has implemented its recommendation under which every poor girl will be given a shagun of ₹31,000 by the department on her marriage. Funds have been made available for the same and applications have also started coming in. The amount will soon start getting released.

The police department informed the meeting that out of the 63 children, who have been missing in Chandigarh for many years, 14 have been found, and efforts are being made to find the remaining 49 (44 girls and 5 boys). It was decided that evening OPDs will be started in most of the dispensaries in Chandigarh. The health department will soon give its budget to the administration, and after the approval, this decision will be implemented.