Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has approved a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 for 21 persons who were imprisoned for fighting against the 1975 Emergency, the state Assembly was informed on Wednesday.
Announcing this in the House, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the government has approved the pension for 21 individuals who were jailed under MISA, DIR, and DISIR Acts during the Emergency from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977. The pension will be paid retrospectively from January 1, 2025.
The decision has been taken as per the state government’s announcement on Independence Day last year. The announcement stated that prisoners arrested during the Emergency would be eligible for a monthly pension.
Following the announcement, the government issued a resolution on January 13, 2025, directing prisoners to apply to their respective District Magistrates. The District Magistrates then examined the applications and forwarded them to the State Level Committee.
After reviewing the applications, the State Level Committee recommended that 21 individuals be granted a monthly pension of Rs 20,000, effective January 1, 2025. The government has approved this recommendation, and the pension will be disbursed accordingly.
The government will also consider other applications received from MISA, DIR, and DISIR prisoners and provide them with the same facilities in the next phase.
