Around 63,000 benefit from social assistance programme

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 18 (EMN): Nagaland has 63,140 beneficiaries of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) funded by the Ministry of Rural Development and the department of Social Welfare.

According to the annual administrative report of the Social Welfare department for the year 2019-2020, there are 51, 750 senior citizens whose age is 60-79 years and 5,650 beneficiaries whose age is in the 80+ years group availing the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS).

In the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), there are 4,464 beneficiaries and 1,276 beneficiaries in the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS).

The table shows the breakup of district-wise beneficiaries of the NSAP.

The IGNOAPS has two categories of senior citizens: Those aged 60-79 years of age with a monthly pension of INR 200 per month; a senior citizen whose age is 80 years and above is given a monthly pension of INR 500 per month, wherein the state government provides INR 100 per month to each beneficiary as state contribution to the IGNOAPS.

IGNWPS: Assistance is given to deserving Below Poverty Line (BPL) widows of 40-50 years of age with a pension of INR 300 per month.

The IGNDPS provides a pension of INR 300 per month to deserving persons from the BPL category who have severe multiple disabilities and are aged from 18 to 59 years of age.

National Family Benefit Scheme

A separate scheme called the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) was also listed that the ministry of Rural Development implements through state governments or Union Territory administrations.

This scheme is provided one-time financial assistance of INR 20,000 to families living below the poverty line in the event of death (natural or accidental) of the primary bread earner of the family. The report also stated that 535 beneficiaries were provided with one-time financial assistance from the scheme during 2018-2019.