The government has decided to expand the scope of National Social Assistance Programme to include about 4 million poor widows and persons with multiple disability for providing them a monthly pension of Rs 200, which is likely to put a burden of Rs 1,691 crore on the exchequer, annually.
“The Cabinet today approved to expand the scope of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) to provide pension at the rate of Rs 200 per month per beneficiary (to widows and persons with severe and multiple disabilities),” Home Minister P Chidambaram said today.
Widows aged between 40-64 years and persons with severe and multiple disabilities in the age group of 18-64 years belonging to below poverty line (BPL) households will now be covered under NSAP.
The scheme is estimated to put an additional burden of Rs 1,691 crore annually on the exchequer. For the remaining period of the current fiscal, the scheme is likely to cost Rs 281.98 crore. About 25 lakh widows in the 40-64 age group in the BPL households are likely to be benefited from the scheme. Persons with severe and multiple disabilities in the required age group in BPL families are estimated to be at 15.65 lakh. The current scheme covers only persons aged 65 years or higher, estimated to be around 1.57 crore.
