By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:In order to develop the state, the government’s schemes should be comprehensive, accessible and transparent to the people. After the government came to power in 2024, we have always tried to make all the government’s schemes comprehensive, accessible and transparent. Social Security and Empowerment of the Disabled is a sensitive sector. It is inappropriate to play politics on this issue. The then BJD government used this sector as a political game to provide welfare to the marginalized and oppressed people at the bottom of the society. After our government came to power, Mohan Majhi’s government has become popular.
The BJP government has always been committed to making the distribution of allowances comprehensive, accessible and transparent. Yesterday in Balasore, the Honorable Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi took a historic step by providing one-time allowance to 5,05,831 beneficiaries of the state. While 56,18,336 people were getting allowance under Madhubabu Pension Yojana and National Social Assistance Program earlier, the number of beneficiaries getting allowance in the state has now reached 61,24,167. Currently, there are no more applicants waiting for allowance in the state. Through the ‘UPMP’ or “Unified Pension Management Portal’ launched for the new application, the money will reach the accounts of eligible beneficiaries like the elderly, widows of any age, differently-abled, husband-deserted, Covid/AIDS victims and transgenders within a month of the application. The opposition parties cannot tolerate this, said Hon’ble MLA Shri Santosh Khatua.
In a press conference held at the state office, Shri Khatua said that; The BJD government had given a total of Rs 16,460 crore in five years between 2019 and 2024. But the current BJP government has already given Rs 20,655 crore in just two and a half years of coming to power. Another Rs 22,167 crore will be given in the next two and a half years. That is, between 2024 and 2029, our government will give a total of Rs 42,822 crore in allowances, which is two and a half times more than the previous government.
The central assistance for allowances is around Rs 595 crore per year, which was coming in the previous BJD government and is still coming. But the state government, realizing the need, has emphasized on making this scheme comprehensive and accessible to all, by automatically enrolling those who cross the age of 60 and allowing new beneficiaries to apply through digital platforms while sitting at home and availing all the benefits. When a government comes to power, it examines the budget and spends its income. The structure of the BJD government was to impose excessive taxes. We have made all arrangements for the benefit of the people in the budget. The BJP has fulfilled the promises made. Therefore, the decision of the popular Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi yesterday is a historic day. We welcome this decision. It is very shameful for the BJD to do politics and create confusion on this issue, said Shri Khatua.
Till 2013, an allowance of Rs 300 was being provided under the MBPY scheme. After 2013, till 2018, this allowance was given to those aged 60 to 79 and Rs 500 to those above 80. Keeping the elections in mind, the BJD government from 2019 to 2024 increased this amount to Rs 500 to those aged 60 to 79 and Rs 700 to those above 80. Once again, due to its political interests, before the general elections, in February 2024, it was giving an allowance of Rs 1000 to those aged 60 to 80 and Rs 1200 to those above 80. After our popular BJP government came to power in June 2024, it was reviewed and found that this scheme was not being comprehensive and accessible to all. Many people are waiting to get allowances for empowerment and the disabled.
The government has taken this with sensitivity and has given it to 5 lakh 5 thousand 831 people at a time from Balasore yesterday by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. There was a problem in the IT or technology platform required to collect the allowance money coming through MBPY and NACPY and deposit it in the accounts of the beneficiaries. Now this error or problem has been resolved, Shri Khatua said that there will be no problem in the future.
In a press conference, Bhatli MLA Shri Irashish Acharya criticized the previous working style of the BJD government and said that for a long time in Odisha, the government of Naveen Babu was ruled by Adbaya Raja Dohlik. It was very unfortunate to have to wait until one dies to get benefits.
During the previous government, people used to wait for allowances throughout their lives and allowances were distributed on a party basis. To put an end to this, yesterday, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, based on the principles of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Manamukthi” and the Antoday policy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, has given his Nairya rights to all eligible persons irrespective of party affiliation and ended the system of cruelty in the land of holy Jagannath. We all welcome this. No one will be deprived of government benefits — this is the goal of our government and the ideology of the party, said Shri Acharya.Spokesperson Dilip Malik and State Media Coordinator Shri Sujit Das were prominently present on the occasion.
