Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that old age pension will now be given to 80000 more people, making the total number of old age pensioners in Delhi to be 5.3 lakhs. While addressing a press conference here, he said that the pension for the elderly was on a halt for a while, but now they will once again start getting it.
According to the former Delhi CM, decision to extend benefit of the old age pension to more beneficiaries has been approved by the cabinet and will be implemented soon. He also informed that the state government had launched an online portal in view of the pension application process, which has so far received 10000 requests. Kejriwal said, ” Now 5 lakh 30000 elderly will receive pensions up to Rs 2500.”
The AAP chief claimed that in states with a double engine government of the ruling dispensation at the Centre, the amount of pension given to the elderly is much lesser than the ‘single engine’ government in Delhi. He also said that the Delhi government offers the maximum pension money in the country, with Rs 2,000 given to individuals aged between 60-69, and Rs 2,500 for those who are 70 years and above.
He urged people to not let go of the AAP government and re-elect the same to continue with such a pension scheme.
Addressing the media, CM Atishi claimed that since AAP came to power in Delhi, every section of the society, which was left behind was given importance by Kejriwal, who did various things for them as a CM. He continued working for the people despite all alleged efforts by the BJP to stop him from doing people’s works, she said
The city Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that during the time when Kejriwal was put behind the bars in a false case, the centre allegedly stopped the pensions for the old people. He said that after Kejriwal’s return from prison, those pensions that were put on halt are being given, and those eligible elderly who turned 60 and above during former CM’s imprisonment are now being enrolled for pensions.