New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday sent Rs 1,247.34 crore directly to the bank accounts of more than 1.12 crore people who get social security pensions. This follows his June 25 promise to increase the monthly pension for the elderly, widows, and disabled from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100.
The first payment under the increased pension was made on July 11. Last month, there were 1.11 crore beneficiaries, and now the number has grown to 1.12 crore. “Nobody should be left out of the benefits,” Nitish Kumar said at an event in Patna.
The amount released covers six schemes — Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana, Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension, Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension, Laxmi Bai Social Security Pension, and Bihar State Disability Pension.
Social Welfare Department secretary Bandana Preyashi said all six schemes will soon be linked to the Right to Public Service (RTPS) at the panchayat level. This means people won’t have to go to block offices to apply or get help.
A toll-free helpline — 18003456262 — has also been started for beneficiaries to get information or file complaints. Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni, and other senior officials were present at the event.
To handle the growing number of pensioners, the social welfare department got an extra Rs 10,169 crore in the first supplementary budget for 2025–26, raising its total budget to Rs 18,837 crore. The state’s overall supplementary budget was Rs 57,946 crore, passed after the original Rs 3,16,989.5 crore budget in March.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have made bigger pension promises ahead of elections. RJD has promised Rs 1,500 per month, plus Rs 2,500 under its Mai-Bahin Maan Yojana. Jan Suraj Party leader Prashant Kishor has promised Rs 2,000 pensions. The Congress party has also offered Rs 2,500 monthly for women under the same Mai-Bahin Maan Yojana if it comes to power.
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