Odisha's Chief Minister Unveils Major Expansion of Pension Scheme for Seniors

Significant Expansion of the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana

Bhubaneswar/Baleshwar: On Tuesday, Odisha's Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a significant increase in the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY), adding 505,817 new beneficiaries to the program. He also introduced the Unified Pension Management Portal (UPMP) aimed at enhancing the efficiency of applications, verification, and monthly pension distributions.

The announcement was made during a state-level event in Baleshwar, which was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, MP Pratap Sarangi, and various ministers and MLAs from northern Odisha.

With this expansion, the total number of individuals aged over 60 years receiving benefits under the MBPY has risen to 4,180,825.

Each beneficiary will now receive a monthly pension of ₹1,000, as stated by the Chief Minister.

Previously, approximately 3.675 million individuals were part of the scheme. This expansion is expected to incur an additional annual cost of ₹625 crore for the state government.

Majhi emphasized that the UPMP would simplify the pension application process, enhance verification, and ensure timely benefit disbursement.

New beneficiaries will start receiving their pending pension dues from October, according to the Chief Minister.

Special pension distribution events are scheduled at the district level on November 11 and 12, and at the block level on November 13 and 14.

For those who are unable to collect their pensions during these events, cash payments will be made available at their respective gram panchayat or urban ward offices on November 15.

Starting in December, all beneficiaries, both existing and new, will receive their pensions consistently on the 15th of each month.

Individuals reaching the age of 80 will qualify for an increased monthly pension of ₹3,500 without needing to submit a new application.

Acknowledging delays in pension disbursements under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Majhi assured that the government is actively addressing these pending cases.

The affected beneficiaries include those enrolled in the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Yojana, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Yojana, and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Yojana.

Majhi noted that issues related to e-KYC had caused delays in pension distributions. Out of 20,359,59 beneficiaries under the central pension schemes, problems for around 19 lakh have been resolved, while 1.30 lakh pensioners are still awaiting their payments, which will be addressed within a month.

The state government has also implemented a revised payment system for NSAP beneficiaries to facilitate smoother pension distributions.

Under this new system, the state's share of the pension will be given in cash, while the central share will be directly credited to the beneficiaries' bank accounts after they receive their dues.

From November 2026 onwards, the state's contribution will be distributed in cash, with pending contributions for October and November to be paid on November 15, followed by regular monthly payments on the 15th of each month starting in December.

These pension schemes primarily support senior citizens, widows, individuals with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged groups.

Majhi criticized the previous BJD government's pension policies, claiming that the quota-based system had denied many eligible individuals timely access to benefits.

He explained that under the old system, a specific gram panchayat was allocated a limited number of beneficiaries, forcing individuals to wait for a vacancy to arise due to the death of a beneficiary. "This is inhumane," Majhi stated.

He assured that from now on, aged, disabled, and widowed individuals would no longer have to wait for extended periods to receive government benefits. The Odisha government has taken significant steps to rectify these issues. Over the past 25 years, many beneficiaries were deprived of assistance due to flaws in the old quota system.

Majhi concluded by stating, "No one will have to wait for a vacancy to enroll in the MBPY. As soon as a person turns 60, they can apply and be enrolled immediately, without waiting for a vacancy."