In one sweep, Congress woos 9% of MP electorate

BHOPAL

: The Kamal Nath-led Congress government seems to be wooing pensioners as hard as it is reaching out to the youth this

Lok Sabha

polls. Last month, it doubled monthly pension of 42.5 lakh pensioners from Rs 300 to Rs 600, covering 9% of MP’s electorate.


The revised pension will land in beneficiaries’ bank accounts across the state at a single click in April — just before polling. Pensioners registered under the social justice department include the elderly, widows, and physically challenged people in the BPL category.

The 42.5 lakh pension beneficiaries could turn out a big vote bank for Congress. The hike in pension has already led to a war of words, with BJP claiming that social security pension is not all the state government’s doing but has a central component, too. Congress hits back by accusing BJP of ignoring the interest of destitutes in its 15-year rule.

The Congress Vachan Patra, released ahead of the assembly polls, in fact spoke of Rs 1,000 pension for the elderly instead of the Rs 300 under BJP rule. It has been increased to Rs 600, and there is no deadline on when the next Rs 400 will be added.

The government wants to publicize the doubling of pension as much as possible. The social justice department has been told to hold meetings of beneficiaries at every block and tehsil to apprise people about the decision. The hike in pension will cost an extra Rs 250 crore to the government. Officials in the social justice department said they have already got clearance from finance department, so money won’t be a problem.

BJP says it’s old hat being repackaged by Congress. State BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, “Social security pension has a share of central government. Besides, the BJP government had issued orders to increase honorarium of Asha workers before assembly elections, but it could not be implemented due to model code of conduct. People of the state understand this and will teach Congress a lesson in this LS polls.”

Congress state media committee vice-president Bhupendra Gupta accused BJP of doing nothing for pensioners and destitutes for 15 years. “The ones who have benefited from CM Kamal Nath’s decision will surely remember it and bless Congress in the Lok Sabha polls,” he added.

Congress is also wooing the youth with jobs. The 100-day urban

job guarantee

scheme has 1.5 lakh registrations.


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