Cabinet approves universal pensions by doing away with APL, BPL criteria

07 Mar 2013 Evaluate

Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has agreed to universal pensions by doing away with the APL and BPL criteria, i.e. about 6 crore more people will get pensions. An agreement is likely in the next three to four months. The move is to raise the pension for the elderly from the existing Rs 200 to 500, but won't stretch it to Rs 2,000 as demanded by the Pension Parishad.

Old age pension is likely to be linked with inflation index on the pattern of MNREGA besides being made universal by doing away with APL and BPL criteria. The government is also contemplating amendments to other two pension schemes to make widows eligible for it at 18 years instead of present age cap of 40, and disabled with 40 per cent disability qualify for it instead of 80 per cent.

Ramesh was responding to members' concern over dharna by the elderly people, who are demanding increase in the pension to Rs 2,000 a month from Rs 200 at present.  He said the government was implementing three pension schemes at present - Rs 200 a month for the elderly, Rs 300 a month for the widows and Rs 300 a month for the disabled - and as a first step all these three should be made Rs 300 a month.

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