Bihar Govt Increases Old Age Pension By Rs 700 For Senior Citizens: Know How To Apply

The Bihar government has announced a significant increase in the old-age pension for state residents by more than doubling the current amount. Currently, the pension amount under the welfare pension schemes in the state is Rs 400 per month, which is now proposed to be increased to Rs 1,100 (an increment of Rs 700 per month). This hike applies to the old-age pension, widow pension, and pension for differently-abled persons. After this increase, the cost to the government would be around Rs 9,000 crore, a substantial rise of 3,594.42 crore annually, compared to the earlier annual expenditure of Rs 5405.58 crore, as reported by PTI. The proposed increment will take effect once it is approved by the cabinet.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on June 21, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar posted, “I am happy to inform you that under the Social Security Pension Scheme, all the elderly, disabled and widowed women will now get a pension of Rs 1,100, instead of Rs 400 every month. All the beneficiaries will get a pension at the increased rate from July.”

“The elderly are a precious part of society and ensuring their dignified living is our top priority. The state government will continue to make efforts in this direction”, the post reads.

There are two old age pension schemes run in the state: Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojna (MVPY) and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) which is a central government scheme. Under both schemes, the monthly pension amount is Rs 400 until now, which is transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank account.

Who Is Eligible For Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojna?

The scheme is run by the Department of Social Welfare, Bihar. The scheme currently offers Rs 400 to beneficiaries between 60-79 years of age and Rs 500 to people 80 years and above. Here are the eligibility criteria:

• The person should be 60 years and above and a permanent resident of Bihar

• The applicant should not be a retired government employee

• The applicant should not be getting any other pension from the government and should not be a beneficiary of a family pension or any other social security pension

How To Apply For Old-Age Pension In Bihar?

• An applicant is required to visit the official portal of the scheme

• Click the ‘Register for MVPY’ option on the home page to register for the scheme

• Fill up the details and verify your Aadhaar details by clicking on the ‘Validate Aadhaar’ option

• Click ‘Proceed’ and fill out other necessary information, such as name, address, and bank account details

• Check the details and submit the form

The registration is complete. Authorities then examine the information, and when these are verified, the applicant’s registration is validated to start the pension.

Note that in addition to the Aadhaar card and a bank account, an applicant should also have the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) before applying for the pension scheme.

The other welfare pension schemes for which the pension amount is proposed to be increased include the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme, the Laxmibai Social Security Pension Scheme, the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme, and the Bihar Disability Pension Scheme.