Odisha hikes monthly social security pension to Rs 3,500

The Odisha government decided to enhance the social security pension to Rs 3,500 per month for elderly people aged 80 years and above and persons with over 80 per cent disabilities. The state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved the proposal on Friday to enhance the social security pension with effect from January this year, a senior official said.

Briefing reporters about the cabinet's decisions, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said the monthly pension for the elderly and the PWDs would be enhanced from Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,500.

The government also decided to implement Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijili Yojana, targeting to cover 3 lakh households across the state under the scheme, he said.

The cabinet approved the proposal of state financial assistance for installation of rooftop solar panels, which will be completed by March 2027, he said.

He said the state government will provide a subsidy of Rs 25,000 in addition to the central government's subsidy of Rs 30,000 for installation of 1 kilo watt (KW) rooftop solar panels.

The cabinet has decided to include all eligible women under its flagship programme, Subhadra Yojana till March 31, 2025. Whoever applied on or before the deadline, if found eligible, would get Rs 10,000 as first two instalments for the year 2024, he said.

Similarly, the state government has approved an allocation of Rs 847.14 crore for a period of five years under Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY), which was introduced in June, 2018 for encouraging agri-entrepreneurs and generating employment, Ahuja said.

The cabinet has decided to provide a government guarantee of Rs 17,500 crore to Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC) for a period of five years. The government has also waived off payment of guarantee commission of R 437.5 crore of the corporation.

The government has decided to make amendments to Rules of Business to provide the administration control of minor minerals from Revenue & Disaster Management Department to Steel and Mines Department.

The cabinet has decided to restructure the Odisha Statistics & Economics Service cadre and Odisha Subordinate Statistics & Economics Service cadre and repeal the Employment of Manual Scavengers & Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.