Jharkhand govt brings down age for enrolling in pension scheme to 50

The Jharkhand cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal of including all women, tribals and Dalits above 50 in its old-age pension scheme.

Earlier, those above 60 years used to get the benefit of the scheme, under which Rs 1,000 is provided to each beneficiary per month.

The approval was given at a meeting of the cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

"The cabinet gave its nod to the amendment in the Mukhya Mantri Rajya Vridhavastha Pension Yojana. It is an important amendment, which will allow all women and people of ST and ST category above 50 years to be covered under the scheme," said Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel.

She said that around 18 lakh people would be benefited by the decision.

A total of 35.68 lakh people already get the benefit of the scheme.

Twenty-five other proposals were also approved by the cabinet, including the distribution of 'Matri Kit' to pregnant women.

Dadel said that the kit, worth around Rs 1,500, will have 14 materials, including a mosquito net, a cotton saree, a cotton towel and a toothpaste.

"Six lakh pregnant will be benefited by it. Rs 22.5 crore has been estimated for it in the current financial year,' she said.

The cabinet also gave its nod for the appointment of Yogendra Prasad as the chairman of the State Backward Commission for three years.

The cebinet has also decided to give a job and cash award of Rs 5 lakh to Vinita Oraon, a resident of Vrinda Nayak Toli village in Gumla district.

Oraon had killed an area commander of the banned People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) during an attack on May 5, 2020, Dadel said.

The cabinet also gave its nod to upgrading 146 middle schools to high schools.