(a) the number of persons with disabilities who received the advance three month pension and ex-gratia relief of Rs 1000 since March 2020;
(b) the details of beneficiaries who are currently covered under the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension scheme; and
(c) the criteria for providing pension under IGNDPS alongwith the reasons for the exclusionary criteria of providing pension to only people with 80 percent disabilities?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a) The Government had announced Rs 1.70 lakh crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) on 26.03.2020 for the poor to help them fight the battle against Corona Virus. One of the components of said package was to provide ex-gratia of Rs.1000 in two instalments (Rs.500/- each) to the existing old age, widow and disabled/Divyangjan beneficiaries of the schemes of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). A total of Rs.2814.50 crore as ex-gratia was released to States/UTs in two tranches in April, 2020 and May, 2020 under PMGKY for the 282 lakh beneficiaries of NSAP schemes. This included release of Rs.77.34 crore to 7.73 lakh disabled beneficiaries of Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS).
(b) State/UT-wise details of beneficiaries currently covered under the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) are at Annexure.
(c) As per the NSAP guidelines, persons aged between 18-79 years with severe and multiple disabilities and belonging to families living below poverty line are covered under IGNDPS.
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Annexure referred in reply of Part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 318 for 30.11.2021