Budget for social security pension up four times in Himachal

Shimla October 4

The social security budget had been increased by almost four times in four years and Rs 1,300 crore was being spent in this financial year on the pension of about 7.25 lakh people, a spokesperson for the state government said here yesterday.

He added that at present, more than five lakh senior citizens, about 68,000 people with disabilities, about 1.30 lakh widows and single women, 1,482 leprosy patients and 150 transgenders were getting social security pension in the state.

The present state government, in its first Cabinet meeting, decided to give pension to all senior citizens above 70 years.

Later, it decided to increase the ambit of social security pension by making the provision of pension for all the senior citizens above 60 years, without any income limit, the spokesperson said.

The state government has increased the pension of the senior citizens of 70 years and above age from Rs 700 to Rs 1,700. Similarly, the pension of persons with more than 70 per cent disabilities was also increased from Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,700, he said.