BHUBANESWAR: With elections to the State Assembly and Lok Sabha barely four months away, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has showered yet another largesse by announcing his Government’s decision to extend social security net to 5.4 lakh more people.
Announcing his Government’s decision to provide old-age pension to additional five lakh people under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) and monthly financial assistance to 40,000 artists under Mukhya Mantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana (MMKSJ), the Chief Minister said, “Our constant endeavour is to ensure that not a single eligible person is deprived of the social security benefit programme.”
The Chief Minister made this announcement while reviewing the implementation of the newly launched Peoples Empowerment - Enabling, Transparency and Accountability (PEETHA) scheme. The additional beneficiaries of the two schemes will get the benefit from December 15. As many as 43 lakh people are beneficiaries of old-age pension under MBPY, a state scheme. The rate of pension is Rs 300 per month per beneficiary up to the age of 79 years and Rs 500 for 80 years and above.The artist pension scheme, which was launched in January this year, provides Rs 1,200 per month to artists working for popularising and spreading art and culture of Odisha.
Under the scheme, a male artist will be eligible for assistance after 50 years instead of the present 60 years while the age criteria for female artist has been reduced to 40 years from 50 years.The Chief Minister directed the district collectors to disburse the assistance to beneficiaries between 15th and 20th of every month by organising special camps at panchayat level.