Nitish Kumar Announces Bihar Pension Hike | In a major welfare push ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday announced a significant increase in the monthly pension under the Social Security Pension Scheme, raising it from ₹400 to ₹1,100. The revised pension will benefit 1,09,69,255 elderly, disabled and widowed women across the state starting July.
“I am happy to inform you that under the Social Security Pension Scheme, all the elderly, disabled and widowed women will now get a pension of ₹1,100 instead of ₹400 every month,” the Chief Minister said. “This amount will be transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ accounts on the 10th of every month. It will help 1 crore 9 lakh 69 thousand 255 beneficiaries a lot.”
Calling the elderly a “precious part of society”, Kumar reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to ensuring a dignified life for them.
MGNREGA, Panchayati Raj Allowances Revised
The Bihar government has also doubled the sanctioning powers of village heads (mukhiyas) under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), allowing them to approve schemes up to ₹10 lakh, up from the earlier ₹5 lakh limit.
Additionally, monthly allowances for elected Panchayati Raj officials have been increased. The Zilla Parishad President’s allowance has gone up from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000, while the Vice President’s allowance has been raised from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000. Mukhiyas will now receive ₹7,500 per month, up from ₹5,000.
ALSO READ: Months ahead of Bihar polls, PM Modi’s ‘parivaar ka saath, parivaar ka vikas’ jibe at RJD, Congress
PM Modi Launches ₹5,736-Crore Projects in Siwan
On his fifth visit to Bihar this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a massive gathering in Siwan, endorsing Nitish Kumar’s development agenda and launching projects worth ₹5,736 crore. These include:
- 22 urban infrastructure initiatives
- Six new road projects
- One railway project
- Two new trains, including a Vande Bharat Express
- Export of the first locomotive built at the Madhura rail factory
“The engine made in Bihar will now run trains in Africa… this is the new identity of Bihar,” PM Modi said.
He also attacked the Congress-RJD alliance, calling for the public to support development-focused governance. “India is on the path to becoming the third-largest economy, and Bihar will play a big role in this,” he asserted.
