Lucknow, Aug 12 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to enhance the ambit of old-age pension for the senior citizens and has now set a target of providing a monthly pension to more than 67 lakh elderly, in the current financial year 20025-26.

The pledge comes after the UP government disbursed old-age pensions for 61 lakh poor senior citizens in the first quarter.

In the first quarter of the previous financial year, the Yogi government had met its goal of crediting Rs 1,000 pension directly into the bank accounts of 56 lakh elderly beneficiaries. This year, the Social Welfare Department set a new target of 61 lakh pensioners, which it accomplished. Now, the state government has raised the bar and seeks to cater to 67.50 lakh elderly.

The Old Age Pension Scheme is a cornerstone of the Yogi Adityanath government, aimed at making financially vulnerable senior citizens self-reliant and helping them handle financial hardships during later years of their life.

Under the Old Age/Farmer Pension scheme, those old-aged people who are 60 years of age or above and whose income from all sources in rural areas is up to Rs 46,080 and in Urban areas Rs 56460, are eligible under the pension scheme.

Under this scheme, people 60 years or above are given a pension amount of Rs 1000 per month on a quarterly basis.

The reach of the Old Age Pension Scheme has grown steadily since 2018-19, when 40.71 lakh beneficiaries received Rs 1,879 crore. By 2019-20, the number rose to 47.99 lakh (Rs 2,698 crore), and in 2020-21 to 51.24 lakh (Rs 3,694 crore). The upward trend continued with 51.92 lakh (Rs 4,278 crore) in 2021-22, 54.97 lakh (Rs 6,083 crore) in 2022-23, and 55.68 lakh (Rs 6,464 crore) in 2023-24.

In 2024-25, 55.99 lakh elderly beneficiaries received pensions.

The achievement of this year’s target within the first quarter highlights the government’s priority towards ensuring both the financial security and self-respect of the elderly.

It also reinforces the state government’s commitment towards the welfare and dignity of senior citizens.

The introduction of the Single Nodal Account (SNA) system has made the pension distribution process fully digital and transparent.

Under this system, pension amounts are transferred directly to Aadhaar-linked accounts, eliminating middlemen and ensuring timely, corruption-free disbursement.

The SNA system also facilitates faster payments, easier audits, and efficient fund tracking, guaranteeing that every rupee is used for the intended purpose.

Since the scheme’s launch in 2017, when it covered 37.47 lakh beneficiaries, the reach has nearly doubled, now targeting 67.50 lakh people.

–IANS

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