During the Question Hour on the eighth day of the budget session, there were a lot of tussles on the BJP's demand to give Rs 2,500 instead of Rs 1000 to the elderly, disabled and widows like the beneficiaries of the Maiya Samman Yojana. BJP MLA Satyendra Nath Tiwari said that the health worker gets only Rs 2000 per month as honorarium. This is completely wrong. Why such a low honorarium despite working so well. He said that if the beneficiary of the Maiya Yojana becomes disabled or widow, will she be given Rs 1,000.
The matter heated up when a starred question related to this came from BJP MLA Shatrughan Mahato. During the question and answer session, the uproar kept increasing and expressing dissatisfaction over the answer, BJP MLAs came to the well. They started asking whether other needy people will get the same amount as Maiya or not. Saying this, BJP MLAs walked out of the House.
BJP MLA Shatrughan Mahato wanted to know why only Rs 1,000 will be given to the disabled. Moreover, why did we not get the money for four months? On this, Minister Chamra Linda said that in the disabled pension fund, the central government gives Rs. 300 to the disabled between 18 years to 79 years and the state government gives Rs. 700. Whereas the central and state governments give Rs. 500 each to the disabled above 80 years of age.
He told that the central government has given the amount till June. But the state government has paid till December from the revolving fund. The state government has paid the share till February. Meanwhile, Babulal Marandi asked why such a small amount is given to the disabled. He said that a disabled person from Bokaro has sent a message that he has not received pension for four months.
On this, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that the centre and the state make plans according to their resources. We will see what kind of system is there in UP, MP, Chhattisgarh. Then it will be considered. On this, Neera Yadav along with Naveen Jaiswal said that just answer in yes or no whether Divyangjans will get money equivalent to Maiya or not.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that it is regrettable that at least give us the amount of 1 billion 41 crores for the National Widow and Divyang Pension. Expressing objection to this, BJP MLAs walked out of the House.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government has decided to increase the monthly honorarium for school cooks from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. The announcement was made during the state Assembly’s budget session after concerns were raised over pay disparities between different beneficiary groups.
Responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Satyendra Nath Tiwari, Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu confirmed the salary hike, stating that the revised amount would be disbursed before Holi. The increase was approved in the third supplementary budget.
Previously, the central government contributed Rs 600 and the state Rs 1,400 to the Rs 2,000 honorarium. With the latest revision, the Hemant Soren-led government has taken full responsibility for increasing the amount to Rs 3,000.