Haryana’s “Samman Allowance Scheme for Senior Citizens” politics has come under fire as opposition parties have accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government of reducing the number of beneficiaries under the scheme in a “well-planned manner”, calling it an “attack on the rights and dignity of the elderly” in the state.
In a battle of political power, both the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have announced mass protests in Sonipat and Panchkula later this month.
As per the latest data, a monthly pension of ₹3,000 was paid to 20,05,367 beneficiaries — 10,44,069 men and 9,61,298 women — in February this year.
‘No one was removed’
Haryana BJP media in-charge Arvind, who dismissed the opposition’s allegations as “baseless” and “an attempt to regain lost political ground”, said the old-age pension in Haryana is higher than in neighboring Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, where the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress rule. “Most importantly, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has declared that no one’s pension has been cut,” he claimed.
INLD National President Abhay Chautala said that the names of more than 75,000 pensioners across the state have been struck out. In a video message, he accused the chief minister of lying on the matter and called for a state-level protest in Panchkula on February 20. Mr. Chautala also directed party workers and officials to upload videos of those whose pension was cut and send them directly to the Chief Minister to nail his “lie”.
“(Party founder) Chaudhary Devi Lal started an old-age pension of ₹100 without any conditions, which is equivalent to ₹15,000 today. The Congress party, when in power, tried to reduce pensions by imposing certain conditions, but the INLD then fought for respect for the elderly,” Mr Chautala said, also accusing the BJP of not increasing the ₹20 pension
Planned protests
Announcing a major protest in Sonipat on February 15, Rohtak Congress MP Deepender Hooda said the old-age pension was not a charity. “After the elections, the BJP first cut the ration cards for the poor and now it is reducing the pensions of the senior citizens,” he said.
Former Deputy CM and Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to break the “excellent and long-standing welfare system”, saying that even if there are minor mistakes in someone’s documents, the government should correct them by visiting their homes instead of reducing their pensions.
A rich heritage
The old-age pension scheme was originally started on 1 April 1964 in undivided Punjab, which included Haryana. The rate of pension, which was ₹ 15 per month, was increased from time to time. The Haryana Government introduced this scheme on 1 November 1966 after its creation and pensions were paid to 2,382 beneficiaries. The old-age pension scheme was extended in 1987 to ₹100 per month for those aged 65 and above. The State Government further strengthened the scheme and introduced “Old Age Pension Scheme-1991”, now renamed as Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme. It was implemented from 1 July 1991 and the eligibility age was reduced from 65 to 60 years.
Published – 10 Feb 2026 0:43 AM IST
