Ranchi, Jan 16 (PTI) The Jharkhand government has decided to reduce the qualifying age for pension for women to 50 years from the existing 60 years, an official said on Tuesday.

Women, Child Development and Social Security Department Secretary Kripa Nand Jha said a proposal in this regard is in an advanced stage of discussions.

Also Read | Delhi High Court Orders Concerned Authorities To Halt Unauthorised Construction Near Nizamuddin Dargah and Baoli.

Under the proposal, the qualifying age for pension for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and women will be 50 years.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren had on December 29 announced that tribals and dalits in the state will be eligible for pension benefits upon attaining the age of 50 years, instead of the earlier limit of 60 years.

Also Read | National Startup Day 2024: Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu Ranked As Best Performing States at Startups Awards Function in Delhi.

“We hope to get the cabinet nod on the proposal in the next meeting,” Jha told reporters.

After its implementation, an additional 18 lakh beneficiaries would be added to the pension scheme in Jharkhand, he said.

Jha said a total of 35.68 lakh beneficiaries are availing pension benefits in the state.

The number of pensioners increased by 82 per cent over the past four years, he claimed.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)