AHMEDABAD: In a striking oversight, the central government has failed to allocate any funds for Gujarat’s widows under the widow pension scheme for the past two years.Official figures reveal that the number of eligible widow pensioners in Gujarat stood at 2,31,632 for the fiscal year 2022-23 and increased to 2,76,078 last year. However, unofficial estimates suggest that the actual number of widows in the state exceeds 16 lakh, highlighting a significant discrepancy and raising concerns over the adequacy of support provided.Rajya Sabha MP Dr. M. Thambidurai on August 9, questioned about the union government’s contributions to old-age and widow pensions over the past four years. In reply, to his question, the union government released a comprehensive data covering the government’s contributions to old-age and widow pensions.According to data released, allocations for old-age pensions amounted to Rs 173.64 crore in 2020-21, Rs 130.23 crore in 2021-22, Rs 173.64 crore in 2022-23, and Rs 183.06 crore last year. The data further revealed that Rs 78.81 crore was allocated in 2020-21, followed by ₹40.49 crore in Under Widow Pension Scheme in 2021-22. However, no funds were allocated in 2022-23 or 2023-24, highlighting a complete cessation of financial support for widows over the last two years.The government has reported that the number of widow pension beneficiaries in Gujarat remained steady at 218,395 for both 2020-21 and 2021-22. However, there was a notable increase to 231,632 beneficiaries in 2022-23, and the figure surged to 276,078 in 2023-24.Former Gujarat minister and BJP leader Khuman Singh Vansia has condemned the lack of funding under the Widow Pension Scheme as a serious issue. He emphasized the urgent need for government action to address this funding shortfall.In an interview with TNIE, Khuman Singh Vansia stated, “Gujarat has 1.65 million widows. There are over 70,000 widows in Bharuch district alone receiving a monthly pension of just ₹1,250. Given the current inflation, Rs 1,250 per widow is inadequate. The government have to increase this amount to ₹3,000. If the central government fails to allocate additional funds for widow pensions, their conditions will become extremely dire, he added.
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