Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has achieved full saturation of social security allowances under the Madhubabu Pension Yojana, adding 5,05,817 new eligible beneficiaries and taking the total number of pension recipients to 41,80,825.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the expansion at a programme held at the Reserve Police Line ground in Balasore on Tuesday, where he also unveiled the Unified Pension Management Portal.
Describing the occasion as historic, the Chief Minister said no eligible elderly person, person with disability, or helpless individual in the state would be deprived of government assistance. He said eligible applicants would no longer have to wait for an existing pensioner to pass away before receiving benefits.
Majhi said the previous government had maintained fixed beneficiary quotas at both the state and district levels, under which new eligible applicants could be included only when an existing pensioner died. He said his government had ended this system.
In line with the commitment made in this year’s budget, 5,05,817 additional eligible persons have been brought under the scheme, taking the total beneficiary count to 41,80,825 and achieving full saturation.
The Chief Minister said the additional beneficiaries would entail an annual expenditure of Rs 625 crore. He described the allocation as a worthwhile investment in the welfare of senior citizens and said elderly people should not be made to wait for assistance over an amount of Rs 500-600 crore when the government spends crores on various schemes.
To simplify the application and delivery process and make it more transparent and efficient, Majhi unveiled the Unified Pension Management Portal. Eligible persons can apply online through the portal or submit applications at their nearest Jana Seva Kendra or Block Development Officer’s office.
According to the Chief Minister, the allowance will be paid regularly from the month following the submission of an application. Beneficiaries will not need to apply again to receive the enhanced monthly allowance of Rs 3,500 after attaining the age of 80, as the increase will be applied automatically once they reach the prescribed age.
The newly added beneficiaries will receive their allowances for October and November together. Distribution programmes will be organised at the district level on November 11 and 12, followed by block-level programmes on November 13 and 14.
Those unable to collect the allowance during these programmes can receive it on November 25 from their respective panchayat or municipality offices. From December onwards, the regular allowance will be disbursed on the 15th of every month, the Chief Minister said.
During the programme, Majhi distributed pension benefits directly to selected beneficiaries, including Amulya Acharya and Phulamani Marandi from Balasore Sadar; Shiba Singh and Jayanti Sahu from Remuna; Prafulla Nayak and Hiran Das from Nilgiri; and Gayatri Behera and Gajendra Mahapatra from Nilgiri NAC, among others.
He also inaugurated a Madhubabu Pension Yojana awareness chariot prepared by the state government’s Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department to spread awareness about the scheme.
On the occasion, 70 development projects worth around Rs 340 crore were launched in Balasore district. These included the inauguration of 28 completed projects worth Rs 78 crore and the laying of foundation stones for 42 projects estimated at Rs 262 crore.
Speaking at the same venue, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Women and Child Development and Tourism Pravati Parida said self-help groups were increasingly creating opportunities for small and medium enterprises.
She said women would no longer remain mere beneficiaries but would become entrepreneurs. She added that the government was committed to ensuring that people received their rightful benefits without facing the prolonged delays experienced under the previous government.
Minister for Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, and School and Mass Education, Nityananda Gond said pension was not merely financial assistance but a symbol of human dignity and social security. He said the government was focusing on ensuring the smooth delivery of monthly pensions, particularly to elderly people, widows, persons with disabilities and those in need.
Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi described the occasion as special for the district, noting that the Chief Minister had personally distributed pension benefits to eligible recipients.
