Daijiworld Media Network - Patna

Patna, Jul 26: In a key pre-election announcement, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday declared a substantial hike in monthly pensions for journalists and their spouses under the 'Bihar Patrakaar Samman Pension Scheme'.

Taking to social media platform X, the CM stated that eligible journalists will now receive a pension of Rs 15,000 per month, a sharp rise from the previous Rs 6,000. In addition, dependent spouses of deceased journalists will receive Rs 10,000 per month, up from Rs 3,000, for life.

“I am pleased to inform that under the 'Bihar Patrakaar Samman Pension Scheme', instructions have been given to provide a monthly pension of Rs 15,000 instead of Rs 6,000 to all eligible journalists,” Kumar posted. “Additionally, dependent spouses will now get Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 3,000,” he added.

Nitish Kumar hailed the role of journalists in society, calling them the “fourth pillar of democracy.” He said the government has always prioritized their well-being so that they can carry out their duties impartially and lead dignified lives post-retirement.

The announcement comes months ahead of the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, expected in October or November. While the Election Commission is yet to declare the official dates, political temperatures are rising in the state.

A major flashpoint between the ruling NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan has been the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The opposition bloc INDIA has raised concerns over possible large-scale voter deletions.

On Friday, Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) revealed that 99.8% of electors have already been covered under the SIR process. Over 7.23 crore voter forms have been digitised, and the Draft Electoral Roll will be released on August 1, the official statement said.

The pension hike is seen as a strategic move to garner goodwill among the media fraternity and influence public sentiment ahead of the high-stakes electoral battle.