Old age pension may be linked with inflation index: Govt

"While the government spent Rs 8,400 crore in 2012-13 on pensions, it plans to spend Rs 9,400 crore in 2013-14," Ramesh said, regretting that barely four or five states like Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were disbursing the pension

amount every month while others distributed the same once in seven or eight months.

"This is a very important issue ...pension distribution system needs to be changed," Ramesh stressed.

Earlier raising the issue during Zero Hour, Hussain Dalwai (Cong) said government should do away with the criteria of APL and BPL as about 50 per cent of the BPL did not have cards.

Stressing that it was a matter of serious concern that over 3,000 old persons were staging a dharna on the issue, he demanded that the government should increase the pension amount and reduce the age cap from 65 years to 55 for men and 50 for women.

Najma Heptulla (BJP), however, said the age criteria for men and women should be the same and demanded that the amount be increased "as such a meagre amount was shameful."

D Raja (CPI) said elderly people were most marginalised sections of the society and universal pension should be implemented.

Many other members also associated with the demand for increase in pension and making it universal.