PATNA, July 12 -- Amola Devi, a resident of Jindapur village in Bodh Gaya block of Gayaji district, lost her husband in 2012. Coming from a poor background, she used to get Rs.400 per month as widow pension from 2013. She could barely manage her medicines and six children from the amount. Today she is happy as Devi was one of the 1.11 crore beneficiaries who got first instalment of the hiked pension amount of Rs.1,100 per month to the bank account, disbursed by chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday. "I express my heartfelt gratitude to the honourable chief minister and also bless him. With increase in pension, now I will be able to take medicines as well as eat properly. I thank CM who has blessed all the widows, elderly and disabled people by increasing the pension amount three times," said Devi. She is not alone in expressing their happiness. Prabhavati Devi, a resident of Gopalpur Panchayat in Koilwar block of Bhojpur district, said, "I am 75-year-old and my husband is 80. When I heard the message of the honourable CM that the social security pension has been increased from Rs.400 to Rs.1,100, my mind was very relaxed. From now on, both of us, husband and wife, will receive Rs.2,200 as pension every month. This will help us in our daily routine very well and more importantly will not have to ask others for money. The CM has helped all of us poor, helpless people a lot by providing food, drinking water, toilets in every house and other basic facilities. I express my gratitude to him and bless him to live long and be healthy." In one of the biggest pre-election move, Bihar CM on Friday disbursed the first instalment of the hiked pension amount of Rs.1,100 per month to the bank accounts of 1.11 crore (11.1 million) beneficiaries, including senior citizens, widows and people with disabilities. The state cabinet on June 24, had announced to increase pension amount from Rs.400 to Rs.1,100. Over Rs.1,227 crore was credited under six different pension schemes during a function here, said officials. CM Kumar also reminded women and others who have joined through video conferencing from different districts about the work done by his government for the welfare of every section of the society in general and women in particular. "We have launched several schemes for the upliftment of all sections. We are continuously working for the welfare of the weaker sections of the society. Social security pension schemes are being run for the convenience of the elderly, disabled and widowed women. While talking to women representatives in the Mahila Samvad program on June 21, 2025, we thought that the amount of social security pension should be increased and the elderly, disabled and widowed women should be given a pension amount of Rs.1,100 instead of Rs.400 every month," he said. "I have instructed the department that after this program, the pension amount must be sent to the beneficiaries' account on the 10th of every month," he said. Taking a dig at previous government, he said, "Those who got the opportunity to work before the year 2005 did not do any work for the development of Bihar and the upliftment of women, they only keep making baseless statements. We have worked for the upliftment of women from the beginning. Our government has given the benefit of 50 percent reservation to women in the elections of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Municipal Corporations. Women are being given 35 percent reservation in all the jobs of the state government. Women are becoming self-reliant." The Bihar government is also committed to the overall development of women in the state, he said. "Our government has been consistently working towards the empowerment and welfare of women. We have set an example in terms of women's empowerment by prioritising their education, security and employment. Before 2005, the earlier dispensation did nothing for women. It was only after we assumed office that the real change started," the CM asserted. Noting that he had "made mistakes" in the past by joining hands with the opposition in Bihar, Kumar added: "I strayed 'idhar udhar' (here and there) twice. But now, I am with the NDA and will remain with the alliance forever, and work for the development of the state." Women form one of the largest vote bank of Kumar-led NDA government and through Mahila Samvad he has tried to reach out nearly 37257477 women voters which form 47.75% of Bihar's total voting population of 78,022,933 as per revised voter list published in January this year. "The core of the programme would be around 12.7 million Jeevika Didis," said an official. Kumar, in another major decision, had also announced to double the honorarium of all the workers associated with Jeevika....