With the Lok Sabha elections coming closer, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to increase destitute pension by Rs 100 per month and include sadhus and saints in the scheme.

This was announcement by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Monday.

While a press release issued by the state government did not mention the inclusion of sadhus in the scheme, information advisor to the Chief Minister did not rule out the possibility in near future.

“Sadhus can also be included if they come under the category of destitute,” a senior official said.

Now all destitutes (men, women, disabled and others) will get a pension of Rs 500 per month against the previous Rs 400.

There were reports that the government could give exclusive pension of Rs 10,000 to sadhus and saints, but it was denied by the government, which said that sadhus and saints could avail the benefit of old age pension scheme.

The government claimed that the exchequer would face an additional burden of Rs 600 crore.

The Chief Minister asked officials to organise special camps at every Vidhan Sabha constituency between January 20 and 30 to distribute pensions to aged people, widows, divyangs and destitutes. The elected representatives and lower level officials have been asked to attend these camps.

A government spokesman said that district magistrates had been asked to appoint chief development officers, sub-divisional magistrates and other senior district officials as nodal officers for holding such camps.

He said that so far nine lakh beneficiaries had availed this benefit but if the officers worked with right earnest, the figure would jump to 70 lakh.