Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad is now eligible to a monthly pension under the JP Senani Samman Pension Scheme.
Nearly four decades after he was jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the JP movement to oppose Emergency, the former Bihar CM will get a pension of Rs 10,000 per month under JP Senani Samman Pension Scheme in the state.
Lalu is likely to get a JP Senani Samman Pension as he has applied for it. We have finalised the formal process of his application for the pension and sent it to the state home department for final approval of pension amount to him, an official of the state general administration department said.
Lalu’s pension will be effective since 2009 which is when the JP Senani Samman Pension Scheme was launched.
Lalu, who was a student leader when Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP launched the total revolution movement. Lalu joined the movement in the mid 70s, during which he was jailed under MISA for opposing Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Interestingly, Lalu named his elder daughter Misa Bharti after MISA as he was in jail when she was born. Misa, a doctor by profession, is a Rajya Sabha MP.
According to government records, Lalu was jailed for more than six months during the JP movement.
As per the state governments decision those who served a jail term of more than six months under MISA and Defence of India Rule during the Emergency from March 18, 1974, to March 21, 1977, would be entitled for a monthly pension of Rs 10,000.
But those who served jail term for less than six months including one month would be entitled for a monthly pension of Rs 5,000.
Nearly 25,00 people are getting monthly pension under JP Senani Samman Pension Scheme in the state now.
It was Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who during his first term as CM in November 2005, announced the pension.
