New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) Hours after the AAP announced the inclusion of 80,000 additional pension beneficiaries in Delhi, the BJP countered it with a promise of universal pension coverage on demand for all elderly people if voted to power in the national capital where elections are due early next year.
In a post on X, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) announcement a “political sham”, claiming it was made by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal instead of the appropriate administrative authorities.
If the BJP comes to power in Delhi next year, 100 per cent of the elderly population will receive old-age pension on demand, it added.
No immediate response was available from the AAP.
Accusing the ruling party of failing to address the needs of the capitals’ elderly population, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said, “Even after this announcement, more than half of Delhi’s 10 lakh elderly residents remain uncovered. This is just a drop in the ocean.” At a press conference held earlier on Monday, Kejriwal announced that an additional 80,000 people are now eligible for old-age pension in Delhi, raising the total number of beneficiaries to 5.3 lakh.
Delhi’s pension rates are Rs 2,000 for individuals aged 60-69 and Rs 2,500 for those above 70, the highest in the country, Kejriwal claimed.
Refuting the claim, the BJP said its government in Haryana provides the highest old-age pension at Rs 2,750 per month.
The upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, which will decide the fate of the 70-member House, are expected to be held in February 2025, as the current Assembly’s term ends on February 23.
The AAP is seeking a third consecutive term, having secured a landslide victory in 2020 with 62 seats, while the BJP is looking to make a comeback in Delhi where it has been out of power since 1998. PTI MHS ARI
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