Ganjam Tops Odisha with 59,031 New Beneficiaries Under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana
Berhampur: Ganjam district has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of Odisha Government’s latest expansion of the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY), with 59,031 new beneficiaries added to the scheme.
The announcement came during the launch of the Unified Pension Management Portal (UPMP), a digital platform aimed at streamlining pension application, verification, approval, and payment processes across the state.
According to official data, Odisha has enrolled 5,05,817 additional eligible beneficiaries under the pension scheme, taking the total number of beneficiaries to more than 41.80 lakh.
With this latest inclusion, Ganjam alone accounts for nearly 11 per cent of the newly added beneficiaries, bringing the district’s total pension recipients to around 3.72 lakh.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, said the previous quota-based system often delayed pension approvals for deserving applicants.
The new portal removes such restrictions and enables eligible citizens to receive benefits without waiting for vacancies.
The UPMP allows citizens to apply online through mobile phones and computers or through Jana Seva Kendras and Block Development Offices.
Eligible individuals can submit applications immediately after attaining 60 years of age, and approved beneficiaries will start receiving pensions from the following month.
The government will incur an additional annual expenditure of approximately ₹625 crore to support the newly enrolled beneficiaries.
The reformed system also provides automatic enhancement of pension benefits for beneficiaries aged 80 years and above, as well as persons with 80 per cent or higher disability, without requiring fresh applications.
During the launch event, pension assistance was distributed to around 1,000 newly enrolled beneficiaries, while an awareness vehicle was flagged off to promote the scheme among eligible citizens across the state.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Odisha’s social security framework and ensure timely financial assistance to senior citizens, widows, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
