The Left Front Government of Tripura took another path breaking step by introducing pension scheme for anganwadi workers and helpers at their attaining the age of 60 years and also social pension schemes for female domestic workers, transgender persons, leprosy patients and AIDS patients. The decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the council of ministers. Chief minister Manik Sarkar briefed the media about the decisions in the civil secretariat.
The Left Front Government of Tripura is in the forefront of providing social security to the most deprived, vulnerable people in the society benefiting women, children, old and disabled persons. Presently the government of Tripura is implementing 20 different pension schemes benefiting 107060 beneficiaries every month. In addition to these today’s cabinet meeting decided to introduce four more new pension schemes for female domestic workers, transgender persons, leprosy patients and AIDS patients. While the female domestic workers will get a monthly pension of Rupees 350, others will be given rupees 500. This will cost the government an amount of rupees 233 lac annually.
The more important decision was introduction of pension scheme for anganwadi workers and helpers. It is worth mentioning that very few states in the country has so far introduced this scheme. The scheme will be applicable for those workers and helpers who have worked for at least 10 years continuously. These workers and helpers at their attaining the age of 60 years and retirement will be given a pension of Rupees 500 and 350 respectively. The will also have the option of choosing the monthly pension scheme or taking home a lump sum amount of rupees 50000 and 30000 respectively. If the worker or the helper dies while in service after serving for minimum 5 years, the legal survivors of the deceased worker will get a financial benefit of rupees 50000 while for the helper’s family the amount will be rupees 30000. There are 9911 aw centres in the state. In another decision the state government has decided to increase the subsidy in Swabalamban scheme from 25 to 30 % and raised the ceiling of subsidy from existing rupees 50000 to rupees 65000.The existing subsidy of 35% for women will remain same. So far 11279 beneficiaries have been assisted by the Swabalamban scheme and rupees 178.06 crores disbursed till date.