Odisha Madhu Babu Pension Yojana expansion, Digi Mart USA News (Bhubaneswar/Baleshwar, Odisha, India): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Tuesday the expansion of the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY), adding 5,05,817 beneficiaries to the scheme. He also launched the Unified Pension Management Portal (UPMP) to streamline applications, verification and monthly pension disbursements.
Majhi made the announcement at a state-level function in Baleshwar. The event was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, MP Pratap Sarangi, and ministers and MLAs from northern Odisha.
With the new additions, the total number of people aged above 60 covered under the MBPY has risen to 41,80,825, up from around 36.75 lakh earlier.
Each beneficiary will receive a monthly pension of Rs 1,000, the chief minister said. The expansion will entail an additional annual expenditure of Rs 625 crore for the state government.
Newly enrolled beneficiaries will receive their pending pension dues from October onwards.
Special pension distribution programmes will be held at the district level on November 11 and 12 and at the block level on November 13 and 14. Beneficiaries who could not collect their pension during these programmes will receive cash at their respective gram panchayat or urban ward offices on November 15.
Majhi said all existing and newly enrolled beneficiaries would receive pensions regularly on the 15th of every month from December.
People who reach 80 years of age will be eligible for an enhanced monthly pension of Rs 3,500 without submitting a fresh application, he said. Majhi also acknowledged that pension disbursements to some beneficiaries under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) had been delayed, and said the government was working to resolve the pending cases.
The affected beneficiaries include those covered under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Yojana, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Yojana and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Yojana. Majhi said issues relating to e-KYC had prevented timely disbursements.
Of 20,35,959 beneficiaries under the central pension schemes, issues affecting around 19 lakh have been addressed so far, while the remaining 1.30 lakh pensioners are expected to receive their money within a month.
The state has also introduced a revised payment arrangement for NSAP beneficiaries. Under the new system, the state’s share will be paid in cash, while the Centre’s share will be credited directly to bank accounts after beneficiaries receive their dues.
State contributions for October and November will be paid on November 15, followed by regular monthly disbursements from December.
The pension schemes primarily benefit senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities and economically vulnerable sections of society. Majhi criticized the previous BJD government’s quota-based system for old-age pensions, saying it had deprived many eligible people of timely benefits because vacancies arose only after a beneficiary died.
He said that under the new arrangement, people who turn 60 can apply and be enrolled immediately without waiting for a vacancy.
