Old Age Pension In Odisha Increases For Super Seniors And Persons With Disabilities; Check Amount

Super senior citizens (80 years and above) and persons with disabilities (PwD) in Odisha will not receive Rs 3,500 as a monthly pension. The chief minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Manjhi, increased the old age pension more than double from the earlier Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,500. The increase in pension will be given from June 2025.

Notably, the CM allocated Rs 7,600 crore for the pension scheme in his maiden budget presented in July 2024, reported PTI. Now the funds are used to increase old age welfare pension of older adults and PwDs, under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Madhu Babu Pension Scheme (MBPS).

Increased Pension Will Be Effective From The Retrospective Date

The pension will be provided retrospectively from January 2025. The SSEPD department has asked the District Social Security Officers (DSSO) to implement the pension hike from June, sanction the revised amount, and take necessary action to disburse the revised pension.

The enhanced pension will be available to the beneficiaries included in the list provided by sub-collectors. The higher pension will apply only to the beneficiaries of the NSAP and Madhu Babu scheme.

National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)

The NSAP was initiated in 1995. There are five schemes run under this programme:

• Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS)

• Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)

• Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS)

• National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)

• Annapurna Yojna

The aim of this programme is to provide basic financial support to in case of old age, disability, unemployment, sickness, or to widows.

Under this programme, the SSEPD department aims to develop social, intellectual and financial capital for welfare pensioners, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, substance abuse victims, and transgender persons by collaborating with non-government organisations (NGOs), Banks, corporate, government organisations, community-based organisations, and other stakeholders.

Madhu Babu Pension Scheme (MBPS)

Under the SSEPD department of Odisha, the Madhu Babu Pension Scheme provides social security to the elderly aged 60 years and above, widows, unmarried women belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) category, a leprosy patient with clearly visible signs of deformity, an AIDs patient identified by the government and widow of such patient, or any other disability notified under the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, irrespective of age of the person.

There are a total of 378780 (31,88,69 super senior citizen beneficiaries and 59,911 beneficiaries under the person with disability category) at the time of writing this article.