Welfare Schemes for BPL Senior Citizens

There are several welfare schemes for all Below Poverty Line Senior Citizens. The procedure for inclusion of name in the category of Below Poverty Line is very cumbersome. Planning Commission of India vide their letter dt 4-9-08 have advised  that this is done as per Expert Group Method from the large sample survey data on house hold consumer expenditure conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization using the Consumer Price Index of Agricultural Labourers for rural poverty lines and Consumer Index for Industrial Workers for urban poverty lines. All-India poverty line for 2004-05 on the basis of expenditure-consumption data collected from 30 day recall period for all items work out to Rs 356.30 for rural & Rs 538.60 for urban poor. Each State has different figures and all-India figures are weighted average of the state-wise ratios.

Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension (IGNOAPS): This Pension is now granted to all Senior Citizens of 65 & above belonging to a house hold below the poverty line and not limited to destitutes only, as earlier. Revised Scheme is formally launched on 19-11-07 by Prime Minister. The contribution of Central Government is Rs 200 per beneficiary p.m. and minimum Rs 200 from the State. Some States are giving more. Pension is to be credited, where feasible, in to a Post Office or Public Sector Bank account of the beneficiary for 3 months with permission to withdraw every month only one month’s pension.

Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojna of Maharashtra: The destitute Senior Citizens under 65 shall get Rs 500 p. m., if family income is less than Rs 21000 p.a. If there is more than one beneficiary, the amount shall be Rs 750 p.m. The beneficiary has to apply in prescribed form with certificates for age, income, residential proof for 15 years, not staying in any Vrudhashram and not getting any monthly allowance through any other scheme etc and for being destitute.

Under the revised scheme of IGNOAPS, 1.6 crore Senior Citizens shall be getting benefit. 30% of Senior Citizens are below poverty line and as such about 3 crore are required to be covered under this scheme. The present age limit from 65 should be reduced to 60 and condition of inclusion in list of families below poverty line must be removed.

Indira Awaas Yojna: This scheme was introduced in 1985-86 and provides houses free of cost to below poverty line BPL S C/S T families(40%), physically & mentally challenged(3%) and non

S C /S T BPL house holds staying in rural areas. This is given for new houses as well as conversion of kucha houses in to pucca ones. Cost of the new house is limited to Rs 35000 in plain areas and Rs 38500 in hilly/difficult areas and for conversion Rs 10000 to be financed by Central and State Governments in ratio of 75/25.

Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna: Introduced since April, 99, this scheme provides sustainable income to Rural Poor and BPL families. Under this scheme, credit-cum-subsidy is provided for self-employment, skill development etc. It covers all aspects of Self-Employment like organization of self help groups, training, credit technology, infrastructure & marketing. 4-5 Activities are earmarked for a particular Block with approval of Panchayat Samiti. This is financed in ratio of 75/25 by Centre & state.

Jawahar Gram Samrudhi Yojna: This is the restructured, streamlined & comprehensive version of erstwhile Jawahar Rozgar Yojna, designed to improve quality of life of rural BPL poor. Under this scheme, a demand driven community village infrastructure including durable assets at the village level are created to enable poor to increase the opportunities for sustained employment and generation of supplementary employments.

National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS): Under this Scheme, Rs 10000 is given to a BPL family on the death of a primary bread winner between the ages of 18-64 years. This amount should be increased considerably.

In addition to above, all BPL Senior Citizens are entitled for many other facilities/benefits notified separately for all Senior Citizens in general.