Mon Nov 25 19:39:50 UTC 2024: ## Delhi AAP Expands Old-Age Pension Scheme, BJP Promises Universal Coverage

**New Delhi, November 26, 2024** – Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the expansion of the city’s old-age pension scheme to include an additional 80,000 beneficiaries, bringing the total number of recipients to 5.3 lakh. The scheme, which was temporarily stalled following Kejriwal’s arrest in March, will provide ₹2,000 monthly to seniors aged 60-69 and ₹2,500 to those 70 and above, with an additional ₹500 for beneficiaries from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minority communities. Kejriwal reopened the application portal on Sunday, receiving 10,000 applications in a single day. He challenged the need for a “double-engine” government, arguing a single-engine government (referencing the AAP’s sole control of Delhi) can achieve more.

In response, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva countered that the BJP would provide old-age pensions to all senior citizens (approximately 10 lakh) if elected in the upcoming February Assembly elections. Sachdeva attributed the expansion of the existing scheme to “BJP’s efforts and political pressure.” The exchange highlights the escalating political battle ahead of the crucial Delhi Assembly elections.

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