Madhu Babu Pension Yojana

The Government of Odisha has launched a scheme called as Madhu Babu Pension Yojana with the objective of providing pension to old age, widows and handicapped people. The scheme has been founded by merging two pension schemes namely, Revised Old Age Pension Rules, 1989 and Disability Pension Rules, 1985. As of now, the scheme is benefiting 47 lakh people. The Government is taking measures to reach more people so that the total number of beneficiaries would go up to 50 lakh. The scheme was announced by the State's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. In this article, we look at the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana scheme in detail.

Objective

The main aim of the scheme is to improve the social security of old age, widows and handicapped people who receive a very low income to make their living. The government has developed this scheme to eradicate this, thereby ensuring the prosperity of the underprivileged. This particular scheme is considered to be a flagship initiative as the scheme supports not one but three categories of people in the community.

Eligibility

The following are the eligibility criteria to apply for the scheme:

The applicant should be a widow of any age.
The applicant should be diseased with leprosy and signs of deformity irrespective of age.
The applicant should be above 5 years of age and may suffer from disabilities such as blindness, orthopedically handicapped, mentally retarded or cerebral palsy.
The applicant can be a widow diagnosed with AIDS.
The applicant can be an AIDS patient registered with the State/District AIDS Control Society.
The applicant's family income should not exceed Rs. 24,000.
The applicant should be a resident of Odisha.
The applicant should not receive other pensions that are provided by the Union Government or the State Government or from other organization assisted by either of the Governments.

Benefits of the Scheme

Following are the benefits provided under the scheme:

The applicants up to 79 years would receive a pension amount of Rs. 300 every month.
The applicants above 80 years of age would receive a pension amount of Rs. 500 every month.
The recipients receive the amount on 15th of every month to the respective bank account.

Documents Required

For an applicant to apply for this scheme, it is mandatory to possess the following documents:

Below Poverty Ration Card
Birth Certificate
Voter ID
Residential Proof
Domicile Certificate
Proof declaring the person to be an AIDS patient
Widow Certificate
Disability Certificate

Application Procedure

A fresh application can be availed from the elected personnel of GP/ULB in Jana Seva Divas on 15th of every month. The forms can also be received on Samrthya Sibir, Gram Sabha or other days allocated by the camps that are conducted by departments for block-level activities or camps organized for this purpose.

Distribution of Funds

In rural areas, the funds are distributed at Gram Panchayat office whereas, in urban areas, the funds are distributed at the Municipality office or in nearby schools on 15th of every month.