In a significant move, the Bihar government has substantially increased social security pension amounts, aiming to improve the lives of vulnerable citizens. The initiative will benefit over 11.1 million disabled, elderly, widows, and individuals with disabilities, who will now receive ₹1100 per month, a considerable increase from the previous ₹400. The revised pension will be effective from July.
This increase positions Bihar as a leader in providing financial aid under social security, with more than 11,122,000 people now benefiting from the enhanced pension. The state government will incur an additional financial burden of ₹9202.84 crore annually.
Prior to the increase, the state spent ₹5479.29 crore yearly on the social security programs at the old rates. The central government contributed ₹1438.72 crore, while Bihar covered ₹4040.58 crore. With the new pension rate, the total financial obligation for all pension schemes will reach ₹14682.13 crore annually, adding an extra ₹9202.84 crore to the state’s financial responsibilities.
The decision was made during a review meeting led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, where the pension amount was raised from ₹400 to ₹1100. The Department of Social Security manages several social security schemes in Bihar. These include 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).