Nitish Kumar announces pension hike for elderly, disabled, widowed women
What's the story
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a major increase in the monthly pension for the elderly, disabled persons, and widowed women. The amount will be raised from ₹400 to ₹1,100 per month under the state's Social Security Pension Scheme. The decision will benefit over 1 crore people and is expected to come into effect from July.
Twitter Post
Nitish Kumar's announcement on X
मुझे यह बताते हुए खुशी हो रही है कि सामाजिक सुरक्षा पेंशन योजना के तहत सभी वृद्धजनों, दिव्यांगजनों और विधवा महिलाओं को अब हर महीने 400 रु॰ की जगह 1100 रु॰ पेंशन मिलेगी। सभी लाभार्थियों को जुलाई महीने से पेंशन बढ़ी हुई दर पर मिलेगी। सभी लाभार्थियों के खाते में यह राशि महीने की 10…
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) June 21, 2025
Pension details
'Elderly are a precious part of society'
Kumar said the increased pension amount will be credited to beneficiaries' accounts by the 10th of every month. "The elderly are a precious part of society and ensuring their dignified living is our top priority," he said. The announcement comes ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections later this year, with the Janata Dal (United) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies looking to strengthen their position against an opposition front led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress.
Policy changes
Changes in powers under MGNREGA
The Bihar government has also revised powers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Village heads can now sanction schemes worth up to ₹10 lakh, doubling the previous limit of ₹5 lakh. In a recent meeting, Kumar approved significant increases in allowances for elected representatives under the Panchayati Raj system: Zilla Parishad President's monthly allowance will increase from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000, and Vice President's allowance from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000.
Modi's visit
PM Modi visited Bihar for 5th time this year
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Siwan on Friday, his fifth visit to Bihar in 2025. He announced projects worth ₹5,736 crore, including urban infrastructure projects and new road and rail initiatives. "India is on the path to becoming the third-largest economy, and Bihar will play a big role in this," PM Modi said during his visit. He also unveiled the export of the first locomotive built in the Madhura rail factory.