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Bhubaneswar: Thousands of women who exited Odisha’s flagship Subhadra scheme after crossing 60 years are still waiting for their Old Age Pension (OAP), despite being eligible. The delay comes as the state grapples with a massive backlog of over six lakh pending pension applications.
Subhadra to OAP: A difficult transition
Under the Subhadra scheme, women aged 21 and above qualify for assistance, but beneficiaries are automatically excluded once they turn 60.
As per official data, 93,792 women have been excluded so far after receiving two installments of ₹5,000 each in the first year. These ex-beneficiaries are entitled to apply for OAP under existing pension schemes, but sanction remains uncertain due to the heavy pendency.
Pension backlog across Odisha
According to the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department, OAP sanction depends on meeting eligibility norms and availability of vacancies.
- Pending applications: Over 6 lakh across Odisha
- Top districts with backlog: Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Balasore, Khurda, Sundargarh
- Current beneficiaries: 36.75 lakh under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) and 21 lakh under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
Officials say fresh beneficiaries can only be added when vacancies arise due to the death of existing pensioners.
Departments pass responsibility
While the Women and Child Development (WCD) department implements Subhadra, the SSEPD department manages pensions.
The WCD had earlier promised to transfer ex-beneficiaries’ data directly to SSEPD. However, the SSEPD clarified that women must apply afresh for OAP, with district social security officers assisting in the process.
A recent communication also stressed that no special exemptions will be made for Subhadra ex-beneficiaries, since other waitlisted applicants under MBPY and NSAP may be more aged or needier.
Despite four revisions to this year’s pension sanction targets, the waiting list remains huge. With lakhs of applications pending, many elderly women who once benefited from Subhadra continue to wait indefinitely for social security support.
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