Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday announced a huge relief for destitute women, aged and differently-abled people and doubled their pension amounts in the latest poll strategy ahead of the crucial assembly elections.
Speaking at the state legislative assembly, Adityanath said that his government will now provide ₹1,000 as pension every month to destitute women, aged and differently-abled people, instead of ₹500 which was given earlier.
Additionally, labourers will now get a maintenance allowance of ₹500 monthly for the next four months and pension for leprosy-affected people will be ₹3,000 per month, he said after the tabling of the supplementary budget.
Without taking names, Adityanath took a jibe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying, "Our government gives respect to the elderly and if the father becomes old, he is not removed from the post." He was referring to the bitter feud that caused Akhilesh Yadav snatching the mantle of the party president from his father Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2017.
Here are the benefits announced:
- Widowed women used to get an honorarium of ₹300 earlier, which was earlier increased to ₹500 by when the Yogi Adityanath government came to power. Now pension of ₹1,000 will be extended to 30.34 lakh destitute women, he noted.
- Announcing an increase in old-age pension from ₹500 to ₹1,000, Adityanath said that many families were earlier not covered under this scheme. “Before 2017, about 37 lakh people were benefitting from this scheme and now the number has increased to 55.77 lakh,” he said.
- Pension for eight lakh differently-abled people has been increased from ₹500 to ₹1,000. Labourers will be given a maintenance allowance of ₹500 monthly for the next four months.
- The honorarium of Anganwadi and Asha workers will also be hiked, the chief minister announced and lauded them for a commendable job at the time of COVID-19 pandemic.
- Pensions for leprosy-affected people have been decided to be increased and they will be given ₹3,000 as allowance, with their families being provided housing through the prime minister's or chief minister's Awas Yojana.
- The government also decided that after spending the amount under the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the treatment of incurable diseases for women, an additional amount of ₹5 lakh will be given to women.
Here are the benefits announced:
- Widowed women used to get an honorarium of ₹300 earlier, which was earlier increased to ₹500 by when the Yogi Adityanath government came to power. Now pension of ₹1,000 will be extended to 30.34 lakh destitute women, he noted.
- Announcing an increase in old-age pension from ₹500 to ₹1,000, Adityanath said that many families were earlier not covered under this scheme. “Before 2017, about 37 lakh people were benefitting from this scheme and now the number has increased to 55.77 lakh,” he said.
- Pension for eight lakh differently-abled people has been increased from ₹500 to ₹1,000. Labourers will be given a maintenance allowance of ₹500 monthly for the next four months.
- The honorarium of Anganwadi and Asha workers will also be hiked, the chief minister announced and lauded them for a commendable job at the time of COVID-19 pandemic.
- Pensions for leprosy-affected people have been decided to be increased and they will be given ₹3,000 as allowance, with their families being provided housing through the prime minister's or chief minister's Awas Yojana.
- The government also decided that after spending the amount under the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the treatment of incurable diseases for women, an additional amount of ₹5 lakh will be given to women.