Nitish Kumar disburses first instalment of hiked pension amount to over 1 crore beneficiaries
Nitish Kumar
on Friday disbursed the first instalment 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 people with disabilities.
Over Rs 1,227 crore was credited under six different pension schemes during a function here, officials said.
The
Bihar government
had on June 24 increased the pension amount from Rs 400 per month to Rs 1,100.
"The elderly are an important part of society and ensuring a dignified life for them is top priority of our government. It will continue to make efforts in this direction. We will ensure that this amount is disbursed on the 10th of every month," Kumar said on the occasion.
The Bihar government is also committed to the overall development of women in the state, he said.
Live Events
"Our government has been consistently working towards the empowerment and welfare of women. We have set an example in terms of women's empowerment by prioritising their education, security and employment. Before 2005, the earlier dispensation did nothing for women. It was only after we assumed office that the real change started," the CM asserted.
Noting that he had "made mistakes" in the past by joining hands with the opposition in Bihar, Kumar added: "I strayed 'idhar udhar' (here and there) twice. But now, I am with the NDA and will 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, they added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
22 minutes ago
- Hans India
State govt committed to implementing ‘Super Six': Anam
Panyam: Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy participated in the 'First Step in Supervision' programme at Durvesi village in Gadivemula mandal in Nandyal district on Tuesday. Speaking to mediapersons, the Minister highlighted the government's commitment to public welfare through the 'Super Six' schemes. He remarked that although many had initially criticised these schemes, the people believed in their benefits and supported the government. He confirmed that the schemes were currently being implemented across all mandals of the Panyam constituency. Fulfilling a local demand, Minister Anam announced the construction of a temple for Goddess Sunkulamma in Durvesi. He strongly criticised the previous YSRCP government, alleging that it had misused land documents for political gains and conspired to mortgage large extents of farmers' land under the pretext of government ownership. The Minister also announced that from August 15, the State would implement a free bus travel scheme and soon launch the 'Adabidda Nidhi' initiative to support women until they secure marriage or employment. In a series of announcements related to temple development, the Minister said temple priests would receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000 for conducting rituals such as Dhupa-Deepa-Naivedyam. He revealed that Rs 43 crore had been allocated for 47 temples in the district and Rs 4 crore had been sanctioned for development works in Kalvabugga. Lauding Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's leadership, he said the Chief Minister fulfills promises with action, unlike others who merely issue empty assurances.
India Today
22 minutes ago
- India Today
Delhi govt hikes Olympic medal cash prizes, approves free laptop scheme for meritorious students
Delhi government raised cash awards for Olympic medallists and approved free laptops for top students under the "Mukhyamantri Digital Scheme" to support youth and education. To support sports and education, the Delhi government announced two big plans on Tuesday. One is to raise the cash prizes for Olympic and Paralympic winners from Delhi. The other is the approval of the "Mukhyamantri Digital Scheme" to give free laptops to bright students. Minister Ashish Sood said these steps were taken "for Delhi's development, students and youth" during a Cabinet meeting held at the Delhi Secretariat and led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. He said "There were historic decisions made under the Mukhyamantri Khel Prothsahan Yojana. Earlier, Olympic and Paralympic medal winners were awarded Rs 3 crore, Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore for gold, silver and bronze medallists, respectively. To encourage the sports ecosystem in Delhi, Olympic gold medallists will now be given Rs 7 crore, silver medallists will receive Rs 5 crore, and bronze medallists Rs 3 crore." Sood added that Olympic gold and silver winners will be offered Group A government jobs in Delhi, and bronze winners will be offered Group B jobs. Also, young athletes taking part in state and national competitions will get Rs 5 lakh each to support their coaching and training. Students from Class 6 to 12 will get honorariums. Earlier, winners of the National Games were awarded Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh for gold, silver, and bronze. Now, any medal at a national event will bring Rs 11 lakh. Additionally, "elite sportspersons" competing in national or international tournaments will receive Rs 20 lakh per year. Sood also spoke about the plan to give free laptops under the "Mukhyamantri Digital Scheme". He said As many as 1,200 meritorious students who passed Class 10 with good marks will be given i7 laptops. This will benefit students from underprivileged backgrounds." He said this is in line with the National Education Policy.
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Not just land, we are fighting for our identity, livelihood'
The resistance against Punjab government's contentious land pooling policy, under which it plans to acquire over 50,000 acres of fertile agricultural land, is gaining momentum as villagers across the state have planned a long battle forward. While a day-night pakka dharna outside the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) office began Sunday, SKM Punjab leaders are also holding village-level meetings to coordinate protest strategies. The protest outside GLADA office is spearheaded by the Zameen Bachao Sangharsh Committee and is drawing daily participation from residents of two different villages. 'Though the Punjab government has announced various amendments to the scheme on Monday and passed them in the cabinet on Tuesday, we are not fools. Where is the government going to get so much money to give monthly compensation to farmers?' asked Kanwaljeet Singh Khanna, a Jagraon-based member of BKU Dakaunda. Farmers and activists argue that no amount of allurement — be it revised lease amounts or claims of voluntary participation — can overshadow the anger brewing in rural Punjab. 'Resistance is building every day. Villagers are holding mobilisation meetings, and on July 30, a massive tractor march across the state will show the government the real feedback on this so-called 'beneficial' scheme,' said Balwinder Singh Kanwar, convenor of Lok Adhikar Lehar, whose farmland in Ballowal village falls under the policy. He said that like the three farm laws, they will make the government roll this back too. 'Who in their right mind carries out such large-scale land acquisition in one go — and that too when only 1.5 years of your term is left,' he said, adding that the entire policy is tainted. Villagers have also accused the government of duplicity, questioning why the sale and purchase registration of land has been stopped in villages falling under the scheme if it is truly voluntary as they say. 'About 44 villages in Ludhiana have already joined the dharna outside GLADA. Every day, two villages join us at the protest site, and it will continue until the policy is rolled back,' said Jagrup Singh, a resident of Hassanpur village. SKM Punjab leaders have also held meetings in Dakha and Lalton Kalan to garner support. 'If the scheme was genuinely good, why did the government need to change it and add more benefits?' asked Didar Singh Malak from Malak village. Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh, a retired Deputy Director from the Punjab Health Department, pointed at fundamental questions around the rationale behind the policy. 'Does Punjab really need more urbanisation when it's already at 43%, above the national average of 31%?' he asked, adding, 'Has there been any expert study on this urban push? What is the policy on large tracts of land already designated non-agricultural? And when villages are displaced, what's the plan for those non-farming rural professions that are also uprooted?' He also questioned the changing compensation figures. 'It started at Rs 30,000 per acre annually, then rose to Rs 50,000, and now Rs 1 lakh. If development is expected to be swift, why commit to long-term rent? Even the government seems unsure of the timeline,' he said. Farmer Didar Singh asked when will they get the promised developed land. 'Our agricultural land is giving us annual income. How will they substitute that?' he asked. Farmers said that in several villages of Ludhiana the per acre rate is between Rs 4 and Rs 5 crore. 'The government will not match the amount. The resale of that residential and commercial land will also be another challenge for us,' said another farmer. Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary of BKU Ugrahan also asked, 'The Punjab government is already under debt. From where will it get the money to pay rentals for thousands of acres? Who are they trying to fool?' With nearly 164 villages affected by the land pooling policy, farmers say that the fight is not just about land but is also about their identity, livelihoods, and trust. The battle lines are drawn and the July 30 tractor march will show the government the real face of rural Punjab, Kokrikalan added.
