Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a hike in the pension of journalists in the state under the 'Bihar Patrakar Samman Scheme' on Saturday (26 July 2025). The monthly pension of accredited journalists will be raised from Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000, Nitish announced in a social media post on X.
He said, "I am pleased to inform that under the 'Bihar Patrakar Samman Scheme', instructions have been given to the department to provide a monthly pension of Rs 15,000, instead of Rs 6000 to all eligible journalists."
— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) July 26, 2025
Nitish further added, "Additionally, in the event of the death of journalists receiving a pension under the 'Bihar Patrakar Samman Pension Scheme', instructions have been given to provide their dependent spouse with a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 3,000 for their lifetime."
While announcing the scheme, Nitish also stated the importance of journalists in society. He said, "Journalists play a crucial role in democracy. They are the fourth pillar of democracy and have a significant role in social development. We have been taking care of journalists' facilities from the beginning so that they can perform impartial journalism and live with dignity after retirement."
The Bihar elections are approaching, and as a result, political activity is intensifying in the state. CM Nitish has launched a series of social safety schemes. Earlier this month, his government announced free electricity up to 125 units for domestic consumers in the state. Moreover, to curb the financial strain of free power, Nitish also called for solar energy generation. To promote it, he came up with two schemes, in which 50% central subsidy was provided for rooftop solar panels and related equipment.
The Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar has also announced a hike in monthly pensions for the elderly, disabled people, and widowed women from Rs 400 to Rs 1100. Over the next five years, it plans to generate one crore government jobs and other employment opportunities for the youth.