Bihar Hikes Journalist Pension to Rs 15,000
CM Nitish Kumar Announces Rs 15,000 Monthly Benefit for Journalists, Rs 10,000 for Spouses.
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar increased journalist pension to Rs 15,000.
- Dependent spouses will now receive Rs 10,000 monthly.
- The announcement precedes state assembly elections and electoral roll controversy.
GG News Bureau
Patna, 26th July: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday, July 26, 2025, announced a substantial hike in monthly pension benefits under the ‘Bihar Patrakaar Samman Pension Scheme’ for eligible journalists and their spouses.
In a social media post on X, the Chief Minister informed that the state government has instructed the concerned department to increase the monthly pension for eligible journalists from the existing Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000. Furthermore, in the event of a journalist receiving pension under the scheme passing away, their dependent spouse will now receive a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 for life, up from the previous Rs 3,000.
Chief Minister Kumar emphasized the critical role of journalists in a democratic society, referring to them as the fourth pillar of democracy and highlighting their vital contribution to social development. He stated, “We have been taking care of journalists’ facilities from the beginning so that they can perform their journalism impartially and live with dignity after retirement.”
This announcement comes months ahead of the Legislative Assembly elections in Bihar, expected to be held in October or November this year, though the Election Commission is yet to declare the dates. Meanwhile, the political landscape in the state and at the Centre has intensified over the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls. The opposition INDIA bloc has alleged that the SIR process will lead to the deletion of a significant number of voters.
Earlier on Friday, the Election Commission of Bihar confirmed that 99.8 percent of the state’s electors have been covered under the ongoing SIR process. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar stated that forms for over 7.23 crore electors have been received and digitized, with their names set to be included in the Draft Electoral Roll, scheduled for release on August 1, 2025.
