Nitish Kumar increases pension to ₹1,100 per month from ₹400

Nitish Kumar increases pension to ₹1,100 per month from ₹400

📰 In poll-bound Bihar, Nitish Kumar increases pension to ₹1,100 (June 21, 2025)

🔹 Scheme Details

  • Announcement: Pension under Social Security Scheme increased from ₹400 → ₹1,100 per month.

  • Beneficiaries: 1,09,69,255 people (old age, widows, differently-abled).

  • Implementation: Effective July 2025, DBT transfer to accounts by 10th of every month.

  • Occasion: Declared during Mahila Samvad programme at CM’s Secretariat, Patna.

  • Political Context: Seen as counter to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s earlier promise of ₹1,500 pension.

🔹 Political Angle

  • Tejashwi Yadav (RJD)

    • Promised in Dec 2024:

      • Pension hike from ₹400 → ₹1,500 (Mai-Bahin Samman Yojna).

      • Gas cylinder for ₹500.

      • 200 units free electricity.

    • Accuses Nitish Govt. of being a “copycat government”.

  • CPI(ML) Reaction:

    • General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya criticized hike, saying pension is still just ₹37/day.

🔹 Additional Announcements (Mahila Samvad)

  1. Women Empowerment (Jeevika Project)

    • Started in 2006 with World Bank support.

    • 1.4 crore Jeevika Didis in Bihar now self-reliant.

    • Interest on SHG loans above ₹3 lakh reduced from 10% → 7% (Govt. to bear extra interest cost).

  2. Honorarium Doubling

    • For ~1.4 lakh SHG workers (administrative/training roles).

  3. Infrastructure & Social Initiatives

    • Marriage hall in every Gram Panchayat.

    • Didi ki Rasoi expanded to block-level govt. institutions.