CM Nitish Kumar announces a big hike in journalist pension from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 15,000.
Photo Credit The Suncity News
Patna, July 26, 2025: In yet another major welfare announcement ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday declared a substantial increase in the pension for retired journalists under the Bihar Petrakar Samman Pension Yojana.
The monthly pension has now been hiked from Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000, marking a 2.5-fold increase.
Nitish Kumar considers journalists to be the fourth pillar of democracy:
Sharing the announcement on social media, the Chief Minister stated, “I am happy to inform that under the Bihar Patrakar Samman Pension Yojana, all eligible journalists will now receive a monthly respect pension of Rs 15,000.”
Nitish Kumar also announced that in the event of a pension-recipient spouse would now dependent spouse would now receive Rs. 10,000 per month, up from the earlier Rs. 3,000.
Calling journalists the “fourth pillar of democracy,” the Chief Minister emphasized their role in Bihar’s social and political development. “The government believes journalists must be given full freedom and financial security so they can work impartially and without fear,” he added.
The move is seen as part of a broader set of pre-election initiatives by the Nitish government to reach out to various segments of society.
The Nitish Kumar government had announced a social security pension and free electricity:
The state government had earlier increased the social security pension for widows, senior citizens, and the differently abled from Rs. 400 to Rs.1100.
Additionally, Nitish Kumar recently announced 125 units of free electricity per household per month, effective August 1, set to benefit over 1.67 crore families across Bihar.
Lauding the Chief Minister’s decision, JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar said, “Journalists are the fourth pillar of democracy, and Nitish Kumar always thinks about them. I sincerely thank the Chief Minister for this.”
These announcements come at a politically significant time, as the state gears up for elections. With this move, the Nitish Kumar government aims to reinforce its pro-welfare, pro-media image and reach out to a crucial stakeholder group in the public discourse.
EOM.