Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday transferred Rs 1,100 crore directly into the bank accounts of more than 94 lakh beneficiaries under the state's various social security pension schemes through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system from Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi.
Under the revised scheme, beneficiaries are receiving pensions at the rate of Rs 1,100 per month. Addressing the programme, the Chief Minister said that pension payments would now be credited to beneficiaries' accounts on the 10th of every month on a regular basis.
He appealed to eligible elderly citizens who have not yet enrolled under the scheme to apply at the earliest to avail themselves of the benefits. "Individuals aged 60 years or above who have been left out should apply promptly. The state government is fully committed to the social security of poor, deprived, and needy people," Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said.
The Bihar government currently runs six major social security pension schemes, including the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme, Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme, Lakshmibai Social Security Pension Scheme, Bihar Disability Pension Scheme, and Chief Minister Old Age Pension Scheme.
Ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had increased the pension amount from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 per month and announced that payments would be credited by the 10th of each month. However, delays had reportedly occurred in recent months.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has now directed officials of the Bihar Social Welfare Department to strictly ensure timely transfers every month. Earlier this week, the Bihar government approved an advance allocation of Rs 3,662 crore for the six pension schemes covering the months of May, June, and July.
The amount released on Wednesday pertains to payments for the month of May. According to official figures, Bihar has nearly 1.19 crore social security pension beneficiaries, of whom more than 94 lakh received payments in the latest DBT transfer.