Lok Sabha Question No. 2874 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-04
Subject: National Social Assistance Programme
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Partha Pratim Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2874

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.01.2018

## NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME

## 2874.   SHRI PARTHA PRATIM RAY:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the criteria fixed by the Government to provide pension to widows and old age persons living Below Poverty Line (BPL) under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP);
- (b) the total number of widows and old age persons in the country covered under the said scheme, State/UT-wise including West Bengal;
- (c) whether the Union Government proposes to provide old age pension to all in proportion to their population on the lines of compulsory pension scheme in different regions of the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAM KRIPAL YADAV)

- (a): Under  the  Indira  Gandhi  National  Widow  Pension  Scheme  (IGNWPS),  Central assistance @ Rs.300/- per month is provided to widows in the age-group of 40-79 years and belonging to family living below poverty line. Old Age Pension @ Rs. 200/- per month is provided under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) to the persons of 60-79 years of age and belonging to below poverty line (BPL) household. On attaining the age  of  80  years,  enhanced  assistance  @  Rs.500/-  per  month  is  provided  to  the  eligible beneficiaries of IGNWPS and IGNOAPS.
- (b): Details of beneficiaries covered under the IGNWPS and IGNOAPS in the States/UTs including West Bengal during the current year are at Annexure.
- (c) to (e): The  mandate  of  the  National  Social  Assistance  Programme  as  piloted  by Ministry  of  Rural  Development  is  to  extend  the  assistance  through  its  pension  schemes  to beneficiaries  belonging  to  below  poverty  line  families  only.  Under  current  dispensation universal coverage of all the elderly people irrespective of income status is not envisaged.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2874 dated 04.01.2018

Details of No. of Beneficiaries under the NSAP schemes under State/Uts-wise

| Year: 2017-18     | Year: 2017-18     | Year: 2017-18        | Year: 2017-18        |
|-------------------|-------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| Sl. No.           | States/UTs        | No. of Beneficiaries | No. of Beneficiaries |
|                   |                   | IGNOAPS              | IGNWPS               |
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh    | 662641               | 245514               |
| 2                 | Bihar             | 2996472              | 501267               |
| 3                 | Chhattisgarh      | 624169               | 144230               |
| 4                 | Goa               | 1705                 | 315                  |
| 5                 | Gujarat           | 538098               | 12548                |
| 6                 | Haryana           | 198828               | 57149                |
| 7                 | Himachal Pradesh  | 87332                | 17979                |
| 8                 | J&K               | 130085               | 6777                 |
| 9                 | Jharkhand         | 908185               | 272108               |
| 10                | Karnataka         | 892302               | 465363               |
| 11                | Kerala            | 449158               | 209236               |
| 12                | Madhya Pradesh    | 1569627              | 536412               |
| 13                | Maharashtra       | 1123485              | 36604                |
| 14                | Odisha            | 1386290              | 489404               |
| 15                | Punjab            | 201039               | 15424                |
| 16                | Rajasthan         | 799636               | 130902               |
| 17                | Tamilnadu         | 1237809              | 549084               |
| 18                | Telangana         | 473575               | 140705               |
| 19                | Uttar Pradesh     | 4204232              | 991784               |
| 20                | Uttarakhand       | 239498               | 26995                |
| 21                | West Bengal       | 1423192              | 644590               |
| NE States         |                   |                      |                      |
| 22                | Arunachal Pradesh | 29290                | 3565                 |
| 23                | Assam             | 707927               | 137463               |
| 24                | Manipur           | 56045                | 8043                 |
| 29                | Meghalaya         | 77980                | 8498                 |
| 26                | Mizoram           | 25251                | 1925                 |
| 27                | Nagaland          | 44530                | 3720                 |
| 28                | Sikkim            | 16418                | 1614                 |
| 29                | Tripura           | 141510               | 17927                |
| Union Territories |                   |                      |                      |
| 30                | A&N Islands       | 556                  | 0                    |
| 31                | Chandigarh        | 2975                 | 942                  |
| 32                | D&N Haveli        | 8058                 | 1388                 |
| 33                | Daman &Diu        | 840                  | 470                  |
| 34                | NCT Delhi         | 119403               | 36361                |
| 35                | Lakshadweep       | 203                  | 93                   |
| 36                | Puducherry        | 17713                | 9785                 |
| Grand Total       |                   | 21396057             | 5726184              |