In a major announcement for the senior citizens in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal reinstated their old-age pension ahead of the Assembly polls in the national capital. He announced that citizens aged 60 to 69 will receive a monthly pension of Rs 2,000, while those above 70 will receive Rs 2,500 per month.

 Kejriwal added that 80,000 new senior citizens would be included in this scheme, bringing the total number of pension recipients in Delhi to 5.30 lakh. He emphasised that the blessings of the elderly would help increase the state's revenue. Kejriwal also claimed that elderly people in Delhi receive the highest pension in the country. 

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The scheme was approved by the Cabinet and has now been implemented. Within 24 hours, 10,000 people had already applied for the pension.

Kejriwal pointed out that before his government came to power, senior citizens in Delhi were only receiving Rs 1,000 per month as pension. However, his government doubled this amount. Delhi CM Atishi stated that Arvind Kejriwal was the only leader to consider the well-being of the elderly, a group that had previously been overlooked. She also mentioned that Kejriwal had arranged pilgrimages for over 1 lakh senior citizens.

Kejriwal also highlighted the contrast with other states, especially those ruled by the BJP, where elderly citizens receive lower pensions. He noted that in BJP-ruled states with "double-engine" governments, pensions for the elderly are lower, whereas his government is providing the highest pension in the country. He emphasized that pensions for the elderly should never be stopped, adding that during his imprisonment, the BJP had suspended the pensions of these citizens, which he claimed deprived them of their blessings.

CM Atishi praised Kejriwal for thinking about every section of society, especially senior citizens since the AAP government took charge in 2015. She likened Kejriwal to the mythological figure Shravankumar, known for caring for elderly parents. Atishi said that while the BJP government attempted to halt Delhi’s progress, Kejriwal’s government ensured these initiatives continued.

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Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj highlighted the challenges faced by people with disabilities in Delhi, noting that previous governments had neglected their welfare. However, he announced that over 60 per cent of disabled individuals in Delhi will soon receive a Rs 5,000 monthly pension.