The Bihar government has announced a significant enhancement to its social security pension program, aiming to improve the financial well-being of vulnerable citizens. The pension amount has been increased substantially, benefiting over 11.1 million individuals including the elderly, widows, and those with disabilities. These beneficiaries will now receive ₹1100 per month, up from the previous ₹400, starting from July.
With this increase, Bihar underscores its dedication to providing financial aid to its vulnerable population, with over 11,122,825 people receiving monthly payments of ₹1100. This initiative will impose an additional annual financial burden of ₹9202.84 crore on the state’s resources.
Before the increase, the state spent ₹5479.29 crore per year on social security programs, with the central government contributing ₹1438.72 crore and the Bihar government contributing ₹4040.58 crore. The augmented pension scheme will increase the total financial commitment to ₹14682.13 crore, adding ₹9202.84 crore in additional expenses for the state annually.
The decision to raise the pension was made at a recent meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, where the increase from ₹400 to ₹1100 was approved. The Department of Social Security manages several social security schemes within Bihar, including the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (35,59,807 recipients), the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (6,32,596 recipients), the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (1,10,581 recipients), the Laxmibai Social Security Pension Scheme (8,64,922 recipients), the Bihar Disability Pension Scheme (9,65,269 recipients), and the Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana (49,89,650 recipients).