BHUBANESWAR: Differently-abled people have demanded the Odisha government to increase their monthly pension to at least Rs 3,000 and 35 kg rice under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana. Currently, they get Rs 500 as a monthly pension from the state government and five kg rice under the National Food Security Act.
Under the aegis of Odisha Viklanga Mancha, they made an appeal to Chief Minister’ grievance cell on Monday stating that at a time when prices of all essential commodities have gone up, the state government continues to provide just Rs 500 (Rs 16.6 a day) as social security pension to differently-abled people. “Even the price of a cooking gas cylinder is more than Rs 1,000 now. How will we even buy our own medicines with just Rs 500,” asked Niranjan Behera, president of the mancha.
Members of the association demanded that the pension amount be hiked to at least Rs 3,000 for them to be able to take care of their own needs. They also said that as the monthly five kg rice is grossly insufficient, the quota for them will be increased to 35 kg.
The disability pension provided by the state government is one of the lowest in the country. According to a reply in the Parliament by Union Minister of Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste in February this year, states like Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Chhattisgarh pay the lowest disability pension ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500.