Jharkhand Government Brings Down Age for Pension Scheme | 29 Jan 2024

Recently, the Jharkhand cabinet approved the proposal to include all women, tribals and Dalits above 50 years 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 initiative comes under the Mukhya Mantri Rajya Vridhavastha Pension Yojana. Around 18 lakh people would be benefited by the decision.
- A total of 35.68 lakh people already get the benefit of the scheme.
25 other proposals were also approved by the cabinet, including the distribution of 'Matri Kit' to pregnant women.
- The kit, worth around Rs 1,500, will have 14 materials, including a mosquito net, a cotton saree, a cotton towel and a toothpaste. 6 lakh pregnant women will be benefited by it.
The cabinet also granted several other approvals, such as:
- The appointment of Yogendra Prasad as the chairman of the State Backward Commission for three years.
- A job and cash award of Rs 5 lakh to Vinita Oraon, a resident of Vrinda Nayak Toli village in Gumla district.
  - Oraon killed an area commander of the banned People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) during an attack on May 5, 2020.
- Upgrading 146 middle schools to high schools.

The primary objective of this scheme is to extend financial support to vulnerable elderly citizens of the state.
Through the provision of a ₹1,000 monthly pension, the government aims to reduce the dependence of senior citizens on others for their financial needs.
The scheme emphasizes self-reliance for elderly citizens, particularly those living below the poverty line.

It is a militant Maoist outfit formed in 2007 in Jharkhand.
Earlier it was known as Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT) founded by Dinesh Gope a resident of Khunti district, Jharkhand in 2003.

It is a permanent body which has been constituted as per provisions of the Jharkhand State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 2002.