Haryana hikes old age, social security pension by Rs 200

The amount will be constantly increased every year till five years

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 5

The Haryana Government today decided to raise the old age and other social security pensions from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per month from January 1.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Haryana Cabinet under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. There would be a constant increase of Rs 200 in the pension amount every year till five years. As a result, the beneficiaries will draw Rs 2,000 per month at the end of five years, as promised by the BJP in its election manifesto.

“The increase would be a new year’s gift to the beneficiaries, including old age pensioners, widows and dwarfs, and would entail an additional burden of about Rs 520 crore every year,” Khattar said after the Cabinet meeting.

He said the hiked pension would be paid from January 1 and credited to the bank accounts of more than 22 lakh beneficiaries from February 1 through electronic benefit transfers. “The Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana would come handy in electronic transfer of the hiked pension directly to the beneficiaries’ accounts and would check irregularities,” he said.

During the run-up to the October 15 Assembly elections, the Congress had promised Rs 1,500 per month as the pension amount, while the BJP had promised Rs 2,000. “Given the precarious financial position of the state, the current decision was the best possible solution to the sensitive issue of pension hike,” a source said.

Irregularities in the payment of the social security pensions had plagued the scheme in Haryana for the past several years. The Congress had yesterday staged a walkout demanding a timeframe for the implementation of the enhanced pension scheme.

About complaints regarding irregularities in land deals, including those involving Robert Vadra, Khattar said they were being probed and action would be taken after adopting a prescribed procedure.

Hooda’s decisions to be

reviewed in 15 days

*The Chief Minister said 23 departments had been directed to review 115 decisions taken by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government after May 16, 2014, and submit a report within 15 days

*The next Cabinet meeting would take a final call on such decisions

*The CM says if the decisions are found to have been taken by the departments concerned, the ministers will take a final call