Punjab govt releases Rs 40 crore as old age pension

Chandigarh, May 12 (UNI) The Punjab government has released a sum of Rs 40 crore for the month of April to provide regular monthly old-age pensions and financial assistance to the most vulnerable sections of the society including widows, destitute women, orphans and disabled persons.

Disclosing this here today, Minister of State for Social Security and Development of Women and Children Gurkanwal Kaur said that out of this amount, Rs 30 crore has been released for old-age pensions and Rs 10 crore for financial assistance for other beneficaries.

The state government had enhanced rates of old age pension and other financial assistance schemes from Rs 200 per month to Rs 250 per month from April this year.

The minister said that the state government has decided to increse the frequency of meetings of Gram Sabhas to screen applications for old age pensions on a quarterly basis of the earlier half yearly basis.

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