Dharmendra Pradhan to attend event on pension plan launch

BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to launch Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan Yojana (PM-SYM) on Tuesday and a State-level event will be organised for the same in Bhubaneswar. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will attend the programme at Swadhinata Sangrami Sadan here.

“PM-SYM was rolled out in February and about 22,000 people in the State have already registered under the pension scheme which will be dedicated to the Nation by the Prime Minister on Tuesday,” said Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner P Veerabhadra Swamy.The official, however, said they are yet to assess the number of persons in the State who will benefit from the scheme.

The PM-SYM is contributory pension scheme for workers in unorganised sector whose monthly income is up to `15,000 and are not income tax payers.“Street vendors, mid-day meal workers, brick kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, rickshaw pullers and workers of other similar occupations are entitled to register for the scheme by submitting their Aadhaar card and bank account details at the common service centres,” Swamy said. There are about 11,000 common service centres in the State.

The scheme assures a minimum monthly pension of `3,000 to unorganised workers after attaining the age of 60. Workers in the unorganised sector can subscribe to the scheme from 18 years by paying `55 a month while the maximum age limit is 40 and these beneficiaries will have to pay `200 per month.

Union Government will contribute an equal amount for the beneficiaries. In case of the death of the subscriber, only the spouse will be eligible to receive 50 pc of the total pension amount.