BHUBANESWAR: Disabled people have petitioned the Odisha government to increase their monthly pension to at least Rs 3,000 and 35 kg of rice under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana. Currently, they receive 500 rupees as a monthly pension from the state government and five kg of rice under the National Food Security Act.
Under the umbrella of Odisha Viklanga Mancha, they appealed to the chief minister’s grievance cell on Monday stating that at a time when prices for all essentials have risen, the state government continues to provide only 500 rupees (16.6 rupees per day) as a social security pension to the disabled. “Even the price of a cylinder of cooking gas is over Rs 1,000 now. How are we even going to buy our own medicines with only 500 rupees,” asked Niranjan Behera, president of the mancha.
The members of the association demanded that the amount of the pension be increased to at least Rs 3,000 so that they can support themselves. They also said that since the monthly 5 kg of rice was largely insufficient, their quota would be increased to 35 kg.
The disability pension paid by the state government is one of the lowest in the country. According to a response to Parliament by Union Rural Development Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste in February this year, states like Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Chhattisgarh pay the lowest disability pension ranging from Rs 100 to Rs. 500.
BHUBANESWAR: Disabled people have petitioned the Odisha government to increase their monthly pension to at least Rs 3,000 and 35 kg of rice under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana. Currently, they receive 500 rupees as a monthly pension from the state government and five kg of rice under the National Food Security Act. Under the umbrella of Odisha Viklanga Mancha, they appealed to the chief minister’s grievance cell on Monday stating that at a time when prices for all essentials have risen, the state government continues to provide only 500 rupees (16.6 rupees per day) as a social security pension to the disabled. “Even the price of a cylinder of cooking gas is over Rs 1,000 now. How are we even going to buy our own medicines with only 500 rupees,” asked Niranjan Behera, president of the mancha. The members of the association demanded that the amount of the pension be increased to at least Rs 3,000 so that they can support themselves. They also said that since the monthly 5 kg of rice was largely insufficient, their quota would be increased to 35 kg. The disability pension paid by the state government is one of the lowest in the country. According to a response to Parliament by Union Rural Development Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste in February this year, states like Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Chhattisgarh pay the lowest disability pension ranging from Rs 100 to Rs. 500.
