All eligible beneficiaries getting pension: Social justice minister 72 depts to apologise for delay in tabling reports

Pension being provided to 48.92 lakh oldage people, 4.14 lakh speciallyabled people, and 10.29 lakh widows

: The Rajasthan government is providing social security pension to 63.36 lakh people, including old-aged, differentlyabled and widows, the state’s social justice and empowerment minister Arun Chaturvedi informed the house on Tuesday.

Replying to a question from BJP MLA Bhawani Singh Rajawat, Chaturvedi said that the government is transferring the pension to the bank account of pensioners through Bhamashah.

Rajawat said that a large number of pensioners were not getting the pension, to which Chaturvedi said that earlier there were problems when the application was to be submitted offline and pension was sent through money orders, but now the process is online and approvals are granted faster. He also said the status of the application can also be checked online.

In a supplementary question, Rajawat said that there are many elderly and differently-abled people who are unable to go to the bank to draw their pension to which Chaturvedi said that such pensioners can get their pension through a money order, once their application is verified.

“It is an attempt of the state government to give pension to every eligible individual and for this, the government has proposed more funds in the budget this year,” Chaturvedi said.

In the year 2017, ₹4,099 crore were provisioned for pension

JAIPUR 63.36 LAKH PEOPLE RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY PENSION , ARUN CHATURVEDI SAID

against ₹710 crore and ₹2,861 crore, in 2013 and 2014 respectively, he informed the House.

While answering a question on identifying eligible pensioners, the minister said in Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya rural and urban public welfare camps, pension applications are filled and approval is issued. He said that there are a total of 63.37 lakh beneficiaries, including 48.92 lakh senior citizens, 4.15 lakh disabled and 10.30 lakh widows, who are being given pension.

He said pensioners under the age of 75 are given ₹500 per month, while pensioners above 75 are given ₹750, widows less than 60 years of age are given ₹500 per month, while widows above 60 but less than 75 years get ₹1,000 per month, widows aged 75 and above are given ₹1,500 per month and the differently-abled of any age are given ₹750 per month.

Rajasthan assembly deputy speaker Rao Rajendra Singh on Tuesday directed officials of 72 departments to apologise in writing for delay in tabling annual reports in the house.

During zero hour, Singh told the ministers and officials of the departments that it is becoming a trend to delay tabling reports. He said that of 72 departments, most did not submit annual report on time and many are yet to submit.

He directed ministers and officials of the concerned departments to implement this by March 5.

The deputy speaker said that the annual reports should reach seven days before the beginning of the budget session and the chief secretary, additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries were informed on January 3, 2018, by issuing a circular.

JAIPUR:

HOOKAH BARS

During the question hour, state home minister Gulab Chand Kataria said it was a matter of grave concern that younger generation was getting into addiction through hookah bars.

“The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 had prohibited smoking at public places. In the Act, provision of smoking zones was made to allow smoking in hotels, restaurants and airports. But these provisions were being misused to operate hookah bars,” Kataria said. WITH PTI INPUTS