Step toward justice: MISA prisoners to receive Rs 20,000 pension, free healthcare under Odisha’s new scheme

Odisha: The Odisha government, now led by the BJP, decided that all those who remained behind bars during the period of Emergency in 1975-77 would be compensated with a monthly pension of ₹20,000, an amount that is next to nothing for its value. That was one of the darkest chapters in Indian democracy.

Odisha Government's New Pension Scheme

The Odisha government has unveiled a new welfare scheme for those detained during the Emergency under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and other related provisions. Those detainees between June 26, 1975, and March 21, 1977, will enjoy a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 from January 1, 2025, along with free health care to make them even better off.

A Contrast with the Old Pension Scheme

This is in contrast to the earlier pension of ₹500 declared by the BJD government in 2019 under the Madhubabu Pension Scheme, which had come under widespread criticism for being woefully inadequate. The new scheme announced by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has been appreciated as an overdue improvement and as an acknowledgment of the sacrifices of those who were imprisoned during the Emergency.

Extended Benefits to Living Detainees and Their Families

As informed by the home department of Odisha, it is going to provide a pension to all the residents regardless of any detention reference from 1st January 2025. Detainees and their families also receive health care treatments free due to the state-level health policies implemented. Such pensions will supplement earlier benefits provided to the people who were detained and have been undergoing the detention process.

National Scenario

Odisha is one of the long lines of states that now provide pensions to MISA and DIR prisoners. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan have also initiated similar schemes at different levels as a gesture towards the contributions and sacrifices made by emergency detainees.