BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved the proposal to include four lakh more beneficiaries under government’s social security scheme Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY). With this, the number of beneficiaries will go up from 32.75 lakh to 36.75 lakh.
The inclusion of new beneficiaries will cost Rs 190.20 crore to the government exchequer. The chief minister had approved inclusion of 4.13 lakh beneficiaries under the scheme in August last year.
A large number of elderly people had appealed to be covered under the MBPY, to 5T chairman VK Pandian during his visit to different areas of the state earlier. Senior citizens, widows, differently-abled persons, unmarried women, AIDS and leprosy patients, divorced women, transgenders, children orphaned by Covid pandemic are covered under the scheme. The beneficiaries up to the age of 79 years are eligible to get monthly pension of Rs 500 while those above 80 years are paid Rs 700 per month.
Similarly, persons with 40 per cent to 59 per cent disability are entitled to monthly pension of Rs 500 and those with more than 60 per cent disability get Rs 700. The persons above 80 years having more than 60 per cent disability are paid Rs 900 monthly pension under MBPY. The chief minister also approved the proposal to include 30,000 artistes under the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Sahayata Yojana (MKSY). This is an important scheme of the Odia Language, Literature and Culture department. Many artistes had approached the 5T chairman during his visit to different regions of the state. Under the scheme 50,000 artistes get financial assistance of Rs 1,200 per month. The number has now increased to 80,000.