Maharashtra News: CM Eknath Shinde reinstated emergency pension scheme, Uddhav government canceled

Maharashtra's Eknath Shinde-led government has reinstated the pension scheme for political activists who were jailed during the Emergency imposed in 1975. This scheme was discontinued by the previous government. 

The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in the country in June 1975. Many activists were jailed for protesting against this. The Fadnavis government, which was in power from 2014-2019, had decided to provide pension to these workers.

These workers were given pension from Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 depending on the period of their stay in jail between 1975 and 1977. If a person was in jail for 1 month, then he was given a pension of 5 thousand rupees while a person who was in jail for 3 months or more got 10 thousand rupees.

Fadnavis is the deputy chief minister in the Shinde-led government. The Deputy Chief Minister said that the activists opposing the Emergency were from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Jan Sangh and some other political parties. He further told reporters, "Many people were sent to jail for protesting to restore democracy. My father was in jail for 2 years." Fadnavis further said that the MVA government may have closed the pension scheme under pressure from the Congress.