Chandigarh Social Welfare Committee Recommends Doubling of Pension
Committee Urges Central Government to Increase Monthly Pension to ₹2000; Plans to Make City 'Beggar Free' by December.
- The Chandigarh Social Welfare Committee has again recommended an increase in the monthly pension for old age, widow, and disabled people from ₹1000 to ₹2000.
- The committee plans to make Chandigarh a “Beggar Free City” by December 2025, with a drive to rescue and rehabilitate children.
- A proposal to start evening OPDs in city dispensaries, with a budget of ₹15 crore, was also approved.
GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 2nd Aug: The Social Welfare Committee of the Chandigarh Administration, in a meeting held yesterday, once again recommended to the Central Government to increase the monthly pension for old age, widow, and disabled persons from ₹1000 to ₹2000. Chaired by former MP Satya Pal Jain, the committee highlighted that neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana already provide a significantly higher pension, a disparity that has fueled the demand. The proposed increase is expected to benefit approximately 35,000 families in Chandigarh.
In other key decisions, the committee resolved to take all possible steps to make Chandigarh a “Beggar Free City” by December 2025. A special drive will be undertaken to rescue children from begging, with plans for their subsequent rehabilitation. The Administration is reportedly seeking the assistance of the organization “UMEED” to formulate a detailed plan for this initiative. According to police data presented at the meeting, 42 and 18 children have been rescued from begging in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
The meeting also addressed a proposal to start evening OPDs in nearly all dispensaries in Chandigarh to cater to the working population. The health department has been tasked with submitting a budget proposal of approximately ₹15 crore to the administration for approval.
The police department updated the committee on efforts to trace missing children, stating that 32 of the 63 children missing for several years have been located, and efforts are ongoing to find the remaining 31.
Additionally, a decision was made to organize a conference of prominent citizens in September-October 2025, to be chaired by Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria. The conference aims to inform residents about various welfare schemes of the Government of India.
