Navik Patnaik announces 200 rupees per month as social security pension

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday announced a hike of Rs 200 per month in the social security pension under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY). Patnaik made this announcement while attending a video conference on "Ama Gaon, Ama Bikash" Yojana here. He said 48 lakh elderly, disabled, widows and destitute women will be benefited. As per the enhanced pension, the elderly persons aged over 60 years will get a revised old age pension of Rs 500 per month as against Rs 300 and those who are more than 80 years old, the pension will be Rs 700 per month instead of Rs 500 per month, officials said.

Stating that the enhanced pension will come into effect from February 15, 2019, Patnaik said his government had recently included five lakh more beneficiaries under MBPY. The state government had launched Madhu Babu Pension Yojana on January 1, 2008, by merging two pension schemes - Old Age Pension and Odisha Disability Pension schemes. Earlier, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had announced to raise the social security pension to Rs 1,000 per month if it comes to power after 2019 elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)