Govt to consider raising income criteria for social security pension, says HP CM

The Himachal Pradesh government will consider hiking income criteria of Rs 35,000 per year for women and differently abled persons to avail social security pension, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said in the state assembly on Friday.

Terming Congress legislator Sukhvinder Sukhu's suggestion in this regard as a good one, the chief minister told the assembly during the Budget session that the government would definitely consider hiking income criteria for women and differently abled people for social security pension.

Earlier replying to Sri Renukaji MLA Vinay Kumar and Kangra MLA Pawan Kajal's questions, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Rajiv Saizal said, "There is no proposal to increase existing income criteria of Rs 35,000 to Rs 60,000 per annum for social security pension of Rs 1,000 per month.

At the same time, the minister said that there are more than 5.34 lakh pensioners in the state and there is no income criteria for persons who have reached the age of 70, persons with 70 per cent or more disabilities, persons with more than 40 per cent intellectual disability and lepers.