Srinagar, Aug 05 (KNO): The Government of India has released Rs 17.19 crore to Jammu and Kashmir under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) over the past five years, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), senior citizens aged 60–79 years receive a central pension of Rs 200 per month, while those aged 80 years and above get Rs 500 per month.
States and Union Territories are encouraged to provide an equivalent “top-up” so that beneficiaries receive around Rs 1,000 per month in most regions.
For Jammu & Kashmir, central allocations stood at Rs 2.28 crore in 2020–21, Rs 3.50 crore in 2021–22, Rs 1.92 crore in 2022–23, Rs 7.31 crore in 2023–24, and Rs 3.16 crore in 2024–25. The highest release was in 2023–24, while the lowest was in 2022–23.
Responding to a question on whether the Centre plans to increase the pension to Rs 1,000 for those aged 60–79 years and Rs 1,500 for those above 79 years, Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan said no such proposal is under consideration at present—(KNO)