IGNOAPS scheme to benefit 157.19 lakh people

New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) will benefit an estimated 157.19 lakh urban and rural poor over the age group of 65 and entails a budget of Rs 3772.56 crore.

In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh the scheme benefits a person who is 65 years or higher belonging to a household below the poverty line, according to the criteria prescribed by the government.

The IGNOAPS is a component of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) of the government. The total budget of the NSAP is projected at Rs 4207.63 crores, he noted.

The states have been asked to certify that all eligible persons have been covered and the pension be credited where feasible into a post office or public sector bank account of the beneficiary.

UNI