Re: Orissa State Launches Pension for all PLHIVs

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

There is good news from Orissa. As per the news, for the first time in India,

Orissa government is going to pay Pension of Rs.200/- to all identified PLHIV in

the state. The Government will also dole out monetary benefits to widows living

with HIV under the State Sponsored Madhu Babu Pension Yojana from January 2008.

In the first phase, as many as 6132 HIV Positive persons, irrespective of age or

earnings, will receive Rs.200/- in each month.

OSACS has sent proposals to the government to provide monetary assistance to

PLHIV to give them a moral boost. The government has already agreed to cover the

PLHIV under the recently launched “Madhu Babu Pension Yojana” as per Mr.

Parameswar Swain,Project Director, OSACS. The Project Director has already sent

the list of PLHIV to the District Collectors. The Block Development Officers

will send an account payee cheque to the address of each beneficiary in every

month.

Though OSACS had detected 8200 HIV Positive Cases by December 2007, it has

decided to provide pension to only 6132 after due verification of PLHIVs in

different districts of Orissa. The beneficiary list would be increased in

sub-sequent months with the reporting of new cases.

According to the OSACS officials, the highest number of beneficiaries (2527) is

from Ganjam District. This is followed by 350 beneficiaries in Koraput, 342 in

Khurda, 227 in Puri, 214 in Balasore, 211 in Rayagada, 170 in Anugul, 166 in

Jaipur and 165 in Kendrapara. Boudh district with only seven cases accounts the

lowest number in the state.

(Source: Times of India-07.02.2008)

With warm regards,

Sashikanta

Shashikant Mallick

e-mail: Shashikant.Mallick@...