People living with HIV/AIDS in Orissa will get a monthly pension from the state government under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana. Government sources say that over 6,000 HIV-positive people, irrespective of their age and economic status, are expected to receive a sum of Rs 200 under the scheme in its first phase.

The eastern Indian state is perhaps the first to offer monthly benefits of this nature to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

According to the Orissa State AIDS Control Society (OSACS), the state had 8,200 HIV-positive persons as of December 2007; 6,132 people will receive the monthly pension in the first phase. The list will be revised if new cases are detected, say officials.

The greatest number of beneficiaries will be from Ganjam district which has the highest number of HIV cases -- 2,527 PLWHA will receive the monthly pension here, while 350 will benefit in Koraput district, 342 in Khurdha, 227 in Puri, 214 in Balasore, 211 in Rayagada, 170 in Angul, 166 in Jajpur, and 165 in Kendrapara.

HIV widows will also receive pensions on a priority basis, says Gajanan Swain, OSACS Project Director. Swain has already provided a list of the pension scheme’s beneficiaries to district collectors, and disbursal is reportedly underway.

Source: PTI