NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel in its report tabled in Parliament while highlighting the meagre amount of pension ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 500 for elderly, widows and persons with disability under the National Social Assistance Programme says that this is “not acceptable at all.”
The panel has recommended to the ministry of rural development to make a fresh proposal to the Cabinet and “utilise their convincing abilities” to urgently push for increasing the pension amount.
There are over three crore beneficiaries from the below poverty line (BPL) category covered by various components of NSAP. While the pensions under this scheme remain unchanged despite repeated demands for an increase, state top-ups too vary widely ranging from anywhere between as little as Rs 50 to Rs 3,200 per month.
The 31-member department related standing committee on rural development and panchayati raj in its report on the demands for grants 2023-24 pertaining to the department of rural development observes that “it is beyond comprehension as to how can such low assistance provide any sort of relief to beneficiaries who belong to extremely marginalised and economically distressed section of the society.”
The Committee chaired by Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in its report observes that the meagre assistance amount has been a cause of concern to the Committee for a long period of time. “The Committee find this abysmally low amount, when the cost of living has increased substantially, not acceptable at all,” it is stated.
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme. The components of Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme range from a mere Rs 200 to Rs 500 per month for eligible beneficiaries. Besides this NSAP also includes the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) where Rs 20,000 is provided to the survivor head of BPL families on the death of primary breadwinner aged 18-59 years. Under Annapurna scheme 10 kg of food grains are provided per month to BPL senior citizens not receiving old age pension. NFBS and Annapurna are demand-based schemes.