Lok Sabha Question No. 2444 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-10
Subject: Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Sasikanth Senthil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2444 ANSWERED ON 10/12/2024

## INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL DISABILITY PENSION SCHEME

## 2444. SHRI SASIKANTH SENTHIL:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a) the number of beneficiaries currently covered under the Indira Gandhi  National  Disability  Pension  Scheme,  specifically  for persons with disabilities, categorised by disability type, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the  criteria  for  providing  pension  under  the  Indira  Gandhi National  Disability  Pension  Scheme  and  the  rationale  behind the criterion of providing pension only to persons with disabilities with a disability of eighty percentage or above;
- (c) the details of the amount of pension provided to persons with disabilities under the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme; and
- (d) whether the Government has any plan to increase the Central Government's contribution towards disability pension, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a): Under Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS),  overall  State/UT-wise  cap  of  beneficiaries  is  8.81  lakh, State/UT-wise details of which is given in Annexure. The beneficiaries  belonging  to  severe/  multiple  disabilities  from  BPL category  are  covered  for  availing  assistance  under  the  scheme. Under  the  State/UT  cap,  there  is  no  categorization  or  ceiling prescribed  based  on  type  of  disability.  However,  as  per  scheme guidelines,  it  is  the  responsibility  of  States/UTs  concerned  to proactively  identify  the  most  deserving  beneficiary  among  the disabled persons, as per the prescribed eligibility criteria.

- (b): IGNDPS introduced in 2009 under National Social Assistance Programme  (NSAP)  does  not  have  universal  coverage.   Out  of  the disabled persons, in terms of scheme guidelines, the most vulnerable  category  of  persons  with  severe  or  multiple  disability belonging  to  BPL  category  in  the  age  of  18  years  and  above  is eligible for assistance under IGNDPS. As per guidelines, in view of the  limitation  of  availability  of  funds,  if  there  are  more  deserving beneficiaries, the State/UT has the option to give them pension from its own resources.
- (c):   The central assistance under the IGNDPS is ₹300/- per month per beneficiary from 18 to 79 years of age and ₹ 500/- per month per beneficiary from 80 years onwards. The States/UTs are encouraged to  provide  top-up  amount  of  at  least  an  equivalent  amount  to  the assistance provided by the Central Government so that the beneficiaries could get a decent level of assistance. At present, the States/UTs are adding top-up amount ranging from ₹ 50 to ₹ 3716 per month per beneficiary under disability pension scheme, resulting in an average monthly pension of around ₹1,000/- in most of the States/UTs.
- (d): At present, no such proposal is under consideration.

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Annexure Annexure referred to in part (a) of LokSabhaUnstarred Question No. 2444 to be answered on 10.12.2024 regarding Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme

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| Sl. No            | States/UTs         | NDPS   |
|-------------------|--------------------|--------|
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh     | 24412  |
| 2                 | Bihar              | 127100 |
| 3                 | Chhattisgarh       | 32085  |
| 4                 | Goa                | 466    |
| 5                 | Gujarat            | 20327  |
| 6                 | Haryana            | 16583  |
| 7 Himachal        | Pradesh            | 853    |
| 8                 | Jharkhand          | 26349  |
| 9                 | Karnataka          | 44825  |
| 10                | Kerala             | 66928  |
| 11                | Madhya Pradesh     | 101470 |
| 12                | Maharashtra        | 9322   |
| 13                | Odisha             | 90283  |
| 14                | Punjab             | 5982   |
| 15                | Rajasthan          | 30513  |
| 16                | Tamil Nadu         | 64096  |
| 17                | Telangana          | 20578  |
| 18                | Uttar Pradesh      | 85773  |
| 19                | Uttarakhand        | 2880   |
| 20                | West Bengal        | 59941  |
| NE States         | NE States          |        |
| 21                | Arunachal Pradesh  | 112    |
| 22                | Assam              | 34579  |
| 23                | Manipur            | 1005   |
| 24                | Meghalaya          | 1558   |
| 25                | Mizoram            | 722    |
| 26                | Nagaland           | 1011   |
| 27                | Sikkim             | 457    |
| 28                | Tripura            | 2131   |
| Union Territories | Union Territories  |        |
| 29                | A&N Islands        | 2      |
| 30                | Chandigarh         | 100    |
| 31                | D&N Haveli and D&D | 310    |
| 32                | NCT Delhi          | 4635   |
| 33                | Jammu & Kashmir    | 2465   |
| 34                | Ladakh             | 219    |
| 35                | Lakshadweep        | 51     |
| 36                | Puducherry         | 1271   |
| TOTAL             | TOTAL              | 881394 |

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