NEW DELHI, Mar 7: The Government is considering hiking the pension amount given to the aged, widowed and physically challenged, Minister of State for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh today informed the Rajya Sabha.
Speaking during Zero Hour, he told Members that the Centre had spent Rs 8,400 crore on disbursal of pension during 2012-13 and it was expected to go up to Rs 9,400 crore in 2013-14.
Referring to the agitation being held at Jantar Mantar to hike the pensions given of Rs 200 to the aged and widows and Rs 300 to the disabled, Mr Ramesh said he had contacted the Prime Minister who had asked him to hold talks with those sitting on dharna. “Within the next four to five weeks we hope to arrive at some agreement,” he added, hinting that the hiked amount could be about Rs 2,000.
There was also a general consensus on the issue on ridding the demarcation of the pensioner belonging to Below Poverty Line and Above Poverty Line strata.
The minister agreed with members on the need for modifying the definition of widows from those widowed over the age of 40 years to include those widowed at the age of 18 years onwards and lowering the criteria of physically disabled from those suffering 80 per cent disability to 40 per cent disability.
Agreeing that pension given was inadequate, the minister said that pension should like the MGNREGA be linked to inflation.
There were several states such as AP, TN and Odisha where the aged were receiving pension every month but in other states pension was being given once in six months or even a year, he added. (UNI)
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