Raipur | Correspondent: A recent revelation shows that in the past four years, no new individuals in Chhattisgarh have been found eligible for the old age pension.
This information was disclosed by Rural Development Minister Kamlesh Paswan in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Minister Paswan stated that the central government provided Rs 6,152.61 crore to states for the old age pension scheme in 2020-21.
In the current fiscal year, 2023-24, this amount has increased to Rs 6,778.48 crore.
According to the minister, 2,15,90,519 elderly people benefited from the pension scheme in 2020-21.
This number slightly increased to 2,18,86,219 in 2023-24, indicating a rise in beneficiaries across the country.
Although no new eligible individuals were recorded in Chhattisgarh during this period.
No new elderly found eligible
In Chhattisgarh, elderly citizens between the ages of 60 and 79 receive a monthly pension of Rs 500, while those over 80 receive Rs 650.
Despite an increase in funding from the central government, the number of beneficiaries has remained unchanged over the past four years.
Government data shows that the central government allocated Rs 98.55 crore to Chhattisgarh for the old age pension scheme in 2020-21.
This amount of old age pension increased to Rs 183.58 crore in 2021-22, Rs 187.69 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 190.63 crore in 2023-24.
However, during this period, the number of people receiving the pension stayed constant at 6,44,429.
The figures from 2020 and 2024 show no increase in the number of beneficiaries, despite the rising financial support from the central government.
Elderly walked 50 kilometers to claim pension
Despite increasing funds, many eligible elderly people in Chhattisgarh have been unable to access old age pensions over the past four years.
Issues such as KYC requirements and incomplete documents have kept them out of the scheme.
In a recent incident, two elderly residents of Irpagutta village in Bijapur, Veladi Bira and Veladi Hadma,
traveled 50 kilometers over two days by tractor and on foot to reach the Bhopalpatnam block headquarters to apply for the pension.
They had been pleading for the pension for the last five years.
This case is not unique. Across the state, hundreds of elderly people are struggling to secure their pension benefits due to government inaction.
Despite being eligible, many continue to be denied the support they need.
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