DECKS CLEARED FOR HIKE IN SOCIAL SECURITY MONTHLY PENSION FROM RS. 750 TO RS. 1500 FROM JULY 1

Chandigarh, June 6:

Decks have been cleared for hike in Social Security monthly pension from Rs. 750 to Rs. 1500 from July 1 onwards with the issuance of notification by the Social Security, Women and Child Development department in this regard.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson said that the notification has paved a way for doubling the pension for old age, handicapped persons, widow and destitute women besides dependent children in line with State Government’s commitment made during the budget session this year to ensure welfare of the deprived sections of the society to provide financial assistance to the tune of Rs.1500 per month to all eligible beneficiaries covered under Social Security pensions.

It may be recalled that with a view to double the monthly pension from Rs.750 to Rs.1,500, a budgetary outlay of Rs.4,000 crore had been allocated during 2021-22, signifying an increase of 72% from 2020-21 budgetary expenditure of Rs.2,320 crore. Meanwhile, the Social Security pensions amounting to Rs.2,089 crore were disbursed in 2019-20 and Rs.2,277 crore in 2020-21, which is three-fold of what was provided by the previous SAD-BJP government in the year 2016-17 i.e. Rs.747 crore. A total of 25.55 lakh beneficiaries, including 13 lakh beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Caste have been provided pension during the year 2020-21.

Notably, the Chief Minister had recently announced free education up to graduation for all those children orphaned in the COVID pandemic, as well as families that have lost their breadwinning member from July 1, 2021 onwards.