By PTI

PATNA: RJD President Lalu Prasad would get JP Senani Samman Pension of Rs 10,000 per month after

being declared eligible for it.

Prasad's application has been approved to make him eligible to get a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 under JP Senani Samman Pension Scheme, officials in the state Home Department said on Wednesday. Prasad, who was a student leader when Jayprakash Narayan launched "Sampoorna Kranti" (total revolution) in 1974 and was jailed under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act).

Prasad would be eligible to get the monthly pension in accordance with amended JP Senani Samman Pension scheme brought in 2015. As per this, those who served jail term between one month to six months would get a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 and those who were jailed for more than six months will receive Rs 10,000 pension a month, the officials said.

Prasad falls in the second category as per government records and is now eligible for Rs 10,000 pension.

The pension scheme, in honour of Loknayak Jay Prakash Narayan, was brought by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2009 during his first tenure (2005-10). Kumar himself is a close disciple of the JP and was jailed during the agitation.

A total of 3,100 persons are getting the pension under the scheme. They include senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi. Nitish Kumar is also eligible for the pension but he is not taking it, the officials said.