Delhi Govt's Old-Age Pension Scheme: 80,000 Beneficiaries Added - Details

The National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, in a Press Conference announced that the Delhi government is going to grant 80,000 people old-age pension.

What Does Kejriwal Say?

"In Delhi, people between the age-group of 60-69, get a pension of Rs 2,000 every month. Before AAP formed a government in Delhi in 2015, this amount used to be Rs 1,000 and we increased the amount to be Rs 2,000," said national Convenor of Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal in a Press Conference in the national capital on Monday.

"Senior citizens above the age of 70 and 75 get Rs 1,500 every month. We have changed this amount to Rs 2,500 per month," he added.

The former Chief Minister of Delhi added that the senior citizens of Delhi are getting the highest amount of pension in the country, currently, adding that this scheme has been implemented.

The Delhi government is going to grant 80,000 people old-age pension, raising the total number of these beneficiaries in the national capital to 5,30,000.

Arvind Kejriwal added that in 2015, when AAP had just formed a government in Delhi, 3,32,000 senior citizens used to get a pension. This number has been increased by 1,25,000 more senior citizens during AAP's tenure, the National Convenor said. This takes the final number to 4,50,000 senior citizens who are receiving pension as of today.

Political Context Behind Pension Scheme Portal

This move comes right before the Delhi assembly elections that are going to be held in 2025.

The Delhi government launched a portal which will receive applications from people aged 60 and above on Sunday and has already received more than 10,000 applications.

Kejriwal, while holding a joint press conference with the Chief Minister of Delhi, Atishi and the Minister of Health for Delhi, Saurabh Bharadwaj blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of halting pensions during the former CM's imprisonment.

Kejriwal further added that wherever he went post his release from jail, senior citizens told him that their pension was pending and that people who were 60 years of age could not claim pension as the government was not receiving applications. The Delhi government will be looking into the same.