Kejriwal tells Delhi voters to back AAP’s single-engine, shun BJP’s double-engine govt plan

New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) Slamming the BJP’s double-engine government slogan, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asked voters to continue backing the AAP’s single-engine government in Delhi to reap the benefits of welfare schemes like old age pension.

Announcing the re-launch of the old-age pension scheme of the AAP government and the addition of 80,000 new beneficiaries, the AAP National Convenor said the BJP’s double-engine governments in the country were giving lower pensions than the Delhi government.

Kejriwal said the old-age pension scheme was expanded by the AAP government when it came to power in 2015. The pension was raised to Rs 2,000 from Rs 1,000 (for those aged 60-69) and increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 1,500 (for those aged 70 and above).

He said the Delhi Cabinet has passed the pension scheme’s relaunch proposal and the Delhi government has also launched the scheme by opening an online portal which received 10,000 applications in one day.

Kejriwal said the AAP government’s plan to add 80,000 new pensioners would take the total number of beneficiaries to 5.30 lakh.

With eyes on the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, the former Chief Minister said, “It is better for voters to remain with the single-engine AAP government rather than vote for the BJP’s double-engine government as things are progressing well under the AAP government.”

Addressing the media at the joint briefing, Chief Minister Atishi hit out at the BJP and the Central government for creating hurdles in the AAP government’s development works.

She complimented Kejriwal for working for all sections of society while he was the CM till October when he was arrested in an allegedly fake money laundering case.

Earlier, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told IANS that the AAP government has re-launched the senior citizen pension scheme, despite challenges posed by the Central government.

"We’ve re-launched 80,000 pensions today for the people of Delhi. Under the scheme, senior citizens aged 60-69 will receive Rs 2,000 per month, while those aged 70 and above will receive Rs 2,500. Additional benefits are provided for applicants from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minority communities,” he said.

Speaking to IANS, Saurabh Bharadwaj emphasised the significance of the pension scheme. “Today is a very big day for the elderly in Delhi. The senior citizen pension scheme was stopped in the past, but now, after Arvind Kejriwal returned, it has been re-launched."

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