NEW DELHI, AUG 10
Goa and Delhi provide the highest pension of Rs 1000 per month to their elders who have crossed 60 while Puducherry comes second with pension of Rs 600 and Maharashtra and Rajasthan third with pension of Rs 500 per month.
The State governments were encouraged to add their contribution to the monthly pension of Rs 200 extended to all elderly persons by the Centre in 2007 under the Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme. There are at least five States of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh that added nothing from their side in the scheme.
In Rajasthan, the State government increases the monthly pension to Rs 750 for anybody crossing the age of 75. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati showed she is too concerned about the elderly persons by letting the State government add Rs 100 to the Central aid to give them pension of Rs 300 a month. Uttarakhand, which was part of Uttar Pradesh a decade ago, gives the monthly pension of Rs 400 while Jharkhand that used to be part of Bihar too gives Rs 400, statistics released in reply to a question in Parliament showed.
Members, however, wondered if the paltry pension can help the elderly persons sustain themselves in their twilight days.