UP government widens pension scheme for destitute, includes seers
UP’s social welfare minister Ramapati Shastri also said that there was nothing wrong if eligible seers were also included in the pension scheme. He said a drive to enrol eligible people was being carried out in all the districts of the state to ensure that no genuine or deserving person was left out.
Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to widen the scope of its pension scheme for the destitute, which may now also include seers who meet the criteria.
In a directive issued to all district magistrates, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked them to hold special camps for all destitute and elderly persons, including widows and disabled, from January 20 till January 30 to enrol beneficiaries above the age of 60 years.
The announcement comes at a time when Prayagraj is hosting Kumbh Mela 2019, where several lakh Hindu seers are attending the religious event. “All destitute will get the pension. There will not be a special slot for anyone unless they meet the criteria of the scheme,” clarified principal secretary, information, Awanish Awasthi.
Social welfare minister Ramapati Shastri also said that there was nothing wrong if eligible seers were also included in the pension scheme. He said a drive to enrol eligible people was being carried out in all the districts of the state to ensure that no genuine or deserving person was left out.
The Yogi government has also decided to bring the old-age and farmer pension at par with those meant for disabled and widows by raising the existing monthly amount from Rs 400 to Rs 500. “We expect to enrol 9 lakh new beneficiaries under the scheme, taking the total number of beneficiaries to 70 lakh in UP,” said a social welfare officer adding that the move would incur an additional burden of Rs 600 crore on the state exchequer.
However, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the amount was too less. Taking a jibe at the UP CM, he said, “Sadhus and sants should be given at least Rs 20,000 pension. And why just sadhus, there should also be a pension for those who enact Ram, Sita, Lakshman in Ramlilas, and if still some money is left, then even those who do roles of Ravan, should be given pension.
The Samajwadi Pension scheme was one of the key poll promises made by the party when it came to power in UP in 2012 assembly elections. Under this scheme, every poor household with no source of income was given a monthly pension of Rs 500, which was being given to 50 lakh persons. But the Yogi government stopped the pension following an inquiry of the beneficiaries in which it was found that besides 4 lakh ineligible candidates, around 43,000 beneficiaries were already dead.