Elderly satisfied with Rs 200 monthly pension: Modi minister
The pension amount for the elderly has remained unchanged for 19 years.
The Central Government has defended the mere ₹200 per month pension given to the elderly, stating that people are satisfied with it.
Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan informed the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session that there are currently no plans to revise this amount. This pension amount has not been changed for the past 19 years.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Congress MP Sunil Bose had asked the government whether it had assessed the adequacy of the pension and if there was any proposal to increase its amount.
It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Rural Development runs the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), under which three sub-schemes are operated to provide pensions to vulnerable and needy sections. Under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, people aged 60 to 79 years receive ₹200 per month. Meanwhile, under the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme, disabled persons over 18 years of age receive ₹300 per month. Under the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme, widows over 40 years of age receive ₹300 per month. After reaching the age of 80, all these beneficiaries receive ₹500 per month. Currently, there are 3.09 crore beneficiaries under NSAP.
Minister Paswan stated in his written reply,
Various studies and evaluations have been conducted from time to time by the Ministry and NITI Aayog to assess the impact of NSAP schemes. These assessments have shown that the implementation of the schemes at the grassroots level has been satisfactory, and most beneficiaries have expressed overall satisfaction with the selection, approval, and payment process of the pension.
He further said,
The studies have also found that pension assistance has helped beneficiaries meet essential needs such as food, healthcare, etc., reducing their dependence on family members for these needs."
On the proposal to increase the pension amount, the Minister said that states and union territories can enhance the central assistance amount by providing additional financial support from their resources. Currently, the additional assistance provided by states and union territories under the old age pension scheme ranges from ₹50 to ₹3,800 per month per beneficiary.
The Minister said,
There is currently no proposal under consideration by the government to revise the assistance amount provided under NSAP.
Social activist Nikhil Dey said that the amount of ₹200 or ₹300 per month is nothing less than a joke with helpless elderly and widows. He said, "The amount received under NSAP has neither been increased according to inflation nor has it been revised for almost two decades. This amount is not even enough for beneficiaries to cover a day's expenses. This is a centrally sponsored scheme, but the central government does not want to spend money on it. If states want to give more than ₹200, the Centre wants the states to bear the additional cost themselves."
He said that being below the poverty line (BPL) is an eligibility criterion for beneficiaries of this scheme, but many states are not updating the BPL list. As a result, many poor people are not able to receive benefits because their names are not included in the BPL list.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development has also criticized the Ministry of Rural Development for not increasing the pension amount. In its recommendation to Parliament on August 11, the committee said, "The fact that the revision of the pension amount was considered but not implemented further underscores the need for renewed and urgent attention to this issue."
The big question now is that the concept of a welfare state in the Constitution is not on the agenda of the Modi government, but when the ruling BJP needs to form its government in states, they plan schemes before elections, bring new schemes, distribute ₹10,000 to women, and buy votes (the Bihar Assembly elections 2025 is a recent example), but when there is a demand to increase the amount of existing pension schemes, the ruling BJP government raises its hands.