Bihar cabinet doubles pension of 'JP fighters'

• Bihar Cabinet doubles pension of 'JP fighters' and approves key development projects
• On August 13, the Bihar government announced a doubling of the pension amount of 'JP fighters', political activists jailed during the Emergency for supporting socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan's movement.
• Activists jailed for more than six months will now get ₹30,000 per month instead of ₹15,000.
• The pension of those who have a shorter jail term has been increased from ₹7,500 to ₹15,000.
• At present, a total of 3,354 'JP fighters' are receiving pension under the scheme.
• The proposal was approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
• Nitish Kumar himself was a key figure in the 'JP movement' that began in 1974, a year before the Emergency was declared.
• In 2009, the Chief Minister had launched a pension scheme in the name of Jayaprakash Narayan.