The Centre will give three months’ pension in advance to nearly three-crore widows, senior citizens and differently-abled in the first week of April amid the lockdown over the novel coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic, officials said on Friday.
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Under the National Social Assistance Program (NSAP), a monthly pension is being given to the poor senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities.
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The programme comes under the purview of the the Union Rural Development Ministry. There are 2.98-crore beneficiaries under this programme and the pensions are transferred directly to their bank accounts, officials said.
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The Centre has decided to give three months pension in advance to all the 2.98-crore beneficiaries by the first week of April, according to the officials.
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As per the NSAP, ₹200 per month is given to senior citizens from 60-79 years of age and ₹500 per month to 80 years and above.
An amount of ₹300 per month is given to the widows in the age group of 40-79 years and ₹500 to 80 years and above. For the differently-abled, the pension is fixed at ₹300 per month up to 79 years of age and ₹500 for 80 years and above.
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Besides this pension, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on Thursday announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹1,000 over the next three months and it will be given in two instalments. This is over and above the pension that has been given on a monthly basis.