Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is set to give legal status to the Social Security Pension Scheme, thereby providing its beneficiaries with a lawful right to their pensions. A hefty sum of INR 1005 crore, 41 lakh, 28 thousand, 750 was recently transferred by Gehlot to 51,21,969 beneficiaries under this scheme. The announcement for the proposed legislation was made at an event held at the CM’s residence.
As part of the legislative process, the Gehlot administration will introduce a bill to establish the Pension Scheme and Rural-Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme as law in the upcoming assembly session.
The Right to Pension Act will stipulate a 15% annual increase in the pension. Additionally, a law will also be enacted for a 125-day employment guarantee scheme, ensuring that these programmes remain unaffected by changes in the government.
In Rajasthan, approximately 93.5 lakh people currently benefit from the financial aid provided by seven social security pension schemes. Gehlot increased the minimum pension for beneficiaries up to 75 years old to INR 1000 per month in the 2023-24 budget. This increase benefits around 67 lakh pensioners, resulting in an additional yearly expenditure of INR 2,222 crore for the state government. However, Gehlot is committed to legislating this scheme, and a bill will be introduced in the upcoming assembly budget session starting July 14th.
The Gehlot government is also moving towards legalising the Indira Gandhi Urban and Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Rajasthan leads the nation in offering employment to urban residents as well. Following the enactment of this law, both rural and urban residents will be legally entitled to 125 days of employment. The Gehlot government is currently developing a roadmap to realise this initiative.
It’s noteworthy that Gehlot launched the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme across all municipal bodies in Rajasthan on September 9, 2022. The scheme guarantees up to 125 days of employment, with the Gehlot administration adding 25 days to the central government’s 100-day Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Gehlot’s administration aims to secure these schemes with a legal framework to ensure their continuity, regardless of governmental changes. This implies that the Social Pension Security Scheme and the 125-day Urban and Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will soon be enacted into law. As such, every citizen will be lawfully entitled to the benefits of these schemes. The legislations will also provide for a 15% annual increase in the Social Security Pension Scheme, and extend legal protection to the INR 1000 pension, ensuring the uninterrupted receipt of these benefits by the state’s residents.
