Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced to include additional five lakh new beneficiaries in Madhu Babu Pension Yojana to ensure that not a single eligible person is left out from getting the benefit.
Madhu Babu Pension Yojana is State Government’s own scheme which currently benefits 43 lakh people and new beneficiaries will be added from December 15. Now, a total of 48 lakh beneficiaries will get the assistance.
Patnaik also announced that 40,000 artists will get Rs 1,200 assistance per month from December 15 under Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana.
The decision would have an additional financial burden of Rs 60 crore for four months (December-March) of the current 2018-19 fiscal, sources said.
The Chief Minister, during a video conferencing with the district Collectors from the State Secretariat, directed to distribute the pension amounts to the beneficiaries by organizing special camps from 15th to 20th of every month.
He also asked the district Collectors to hold special ‘PEETHA’ camps at block level to provide pension and assistance. Special camps under ‘PEETHA’ scheme will be held between 15th and 20th of every month.
Patnaik asked the district Collectors to ensure that not a single eligible person should be excluded from Madhu Babu pension scheme.
Madhu Babu Pension Yojana was launched since January 2008 by merging two pension schemes – Old age pension and Odisha disability pension scheme.
The beneficiaries receive Rs 300 per month after attaining 60 years up to 79 years and Rs 500 per month for 80 years and above. The scheme also extends benefits to widows, leprosy and AIDS patients. Unmarried women above 30 years belonging to a BPL family are also eligible under the scheme.
