The ancient culture of Bharat, which had evolved centuries ago, had nurtured strong value based family system. The population lived in villages which were self sufficient within its boundaries. Hardly anyone stepped out for earning livelihood. Young and old, widow and widower, childless or with daughters who were married far away, sick or handicapped all were taken care of within the joint family culture.
With changing cultural influence, norms of society faced severe transformation. Industrialisation broke away the rural establishments. Introduction of formal education inspired youth to travel and move out of their rural cocoon. The changing lifestyle provoked new generation to foster smaller families with lesser children and hence nuclear family system became prevalent.
As a deep effect, the destitute had no support system to fall back on. Life turned difficult for survival. That too, if widow had to bring up off springs single handedly, the limited or no source of monetary help, could prove disastrous.
In such situations, Government aid is important to sustain.
Hon. Prime Minister has been extremely agile towards every downtrodden section in the society and has dedicatedly carved out Government policies to uplift their lives.
To support widowed sisters and lift them from drudgery of dark future with nil support system in emotionally drained days, Modiji led Government has implemented Vidhwa Pension Yojna. It provides financial assistance to underprivileged and dependant widows.
The required documentation are simple and basic.
The widow applicant has to provide her Aadhar Card, Ration Card, Pan Card, Voter’s ID as her identity proof along with Death Certificate of deceased husband. She has to have a bank account in any nationalised bank and has to provide the bank pss book along with her one passport size photo and contact mobile number.
The eligibility criteria are as follows:
1. Widow between age 18 to 60 are eligible to claim this benefit.
2. Widow who has remarried post death of her husband, will not be eligible to gain this benefit.
3. If the widow does not have adult children or if the children are adult but are incapable to provide and take care of for their mother, the widow is entitled to get pension. If the widow has not attained adulthood, she does not become eligible for getting pension.
For Online application, subscribe to the official Website and open the Home page. On the Home page, Widow Pension option is visible. Click on the option and One can apply on the Registration form.
Earlier, at the time of its launch, Rs. 300/- per month or Rs. 3600/- per annum was given to the destitute woman. At present, the amount has been increased to Rs. 500/- per month or Rs. 6000/- per annum.
Every state has their own plan for providing Widow Pension in their state.
Government of Gujarat has been pro-actively providing Rs.1250/- per month to destitute women as Vidhwa Pension Yojna.
The sensitive Gujarat Government has renamed the Vidhwa Pension Scheme as Ganga Swarupa Yojna to lens respectability to the beneficiaries.
It has launched the Central Government ‘s National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) Portal for Direct Benefit Transfer of monthly pension of 1250/- Rs to 3.70 Lakh widows in 33 districts in the state.
The amount is being transferred directly to their bank account or post accounts of the target women with s click.
The programme is being implemented in the state by the Woman & Child Development Ministry. The state Govt. has raised monthly pension from Rs 1000/- to Rs. 1250/-
The state Govt. has also doubled their annual income eligibility criteria from Rs. 47,000 to Rs. 1,20,000 in rural area from Rs. 68,000/- to Rs. 1,50,000 in Urban areas. This increase in eligibility criteria has resulted in rise from 1.64 Lakh beneficiaries to 3.70 Lakhs beneficiaries.
The state Govt. of Gujarat has also relaxed the scheme by continuing the scheme for destitute women, whose children have crossed the age of 21 but are unable to earn and support their widow mother.
Accident benefit of One Lakh is given to the nominee.
The Government of Uttar Pradesh, gives Rs. 6000/- as pension to Uttar Pradesh resident widows and who have completed age of 18. Additionally, the total income of her family is not beyond Rs. 2 Lakhs per annum and is not receiving any benefits from any other Government schemes, is eligible to acquire this benefit.
If the destitute woman belongs to rural area of UP, she can contact the Gram Sabha of her area. If she resudes in the Urban area, she can contact the Jilla Probation Officer.
Ramarani lives in small village near Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh.
Widowed twenty years ago, when she was in her early forties had to lead life full of difficulties and hardship. With bare minimum means of income that her brother-in-laws handed her every month from the income from their jointly owned farm, were hardly sufficient to provide for their family of two sons n herself.
Years passed by and her children started earning. One of them opened a vegetable and fruit shop and the younger one began working on their farm with his uncle. Both were married off and started their own family.
Ramarani was growing old. For years she had worked on farm along with looking after the household. Now, she had Arthritis and her joints pained immensely.
With no source of income of her own now, she was completely dependent on her son’s for any of her personal needs. She had no money to gift her grandchildren or daughter-in-laws.
The Vidhwa Pension Scheme came as boon to her.
Every year she received Rs. 6000/- from the UP Government under the Central Government Vidhwa Pension Scheme. On Diwali, now she buys sarees worth 1000/- Rs. each fir both her daughter-in-laws and new clothes for her two grand children. Rest of the money she keeps with herself to gift them on their birthdays and for rainy day expense.
The scheme has regained her self respect and bonding with her daughter-in-laws.
Each state has their own policies carved out to support the dependant widows of their state.
Mahima Devi l, aged 51 lived in Vaishali district in Bihar. She had lost her husband ten years ago in her early forties.
She worked at construction site as labourer to raise her only son. The son, who had barely studied till high school was compelled to look for job at an early age to support his mother. The son found a job as the Watchman in the newly constructed high rise.He was married and the couple had a small baby boy. His mother had aged early due to severe hardship, she was compelled to follow.
The son, the only bread earner in the family found it difficult to support growing needs of the family.
Amongst such difficult times, the Vidhwa Pension Scheme was a blessing.
Mahima Devi utilised the Pension in buying vegetables for the month. Without this support, the family would have had to bear with under nourished diet.
Such a small gesture of providing mere amount of 500/- a month, may sound negligible but such small blessings lightens up the under privileged’s lives.