Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana 2026: Senior Journalist Pension, Beneficiary List and Application Details

Maharashtra govt. Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana gives monthly pension to senior journalists in the state. The scheme is run by the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR) through the board of trustees of Shankar Rao Chhkar Suvarna Mahotsavi Patrakar Kalyan Nidhi.

The state government has raised the monthly honor amount for eligible senior journalists from ₹11,000 to ₹20,000. This amount is paid directly to the bank account of the eligible journalist through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana

Under this pension scheme for senior journalists, the Maharashtra government supports retired media persons in their old age. The scheme was a long pending demand of the media fraternity and got administrative approval from the state government. A budgetary provision was made for its rollout, and the scheme is now running across the state.

The pension amount is paid from the interest earned on a fixed deposit of ₹50 crore kept in the Shankar Rao Chhkar Suvarna Mahots Patrakar Kalyan Nidhi. Earlier this fund was ₹35 crore, and the state government later raised it to ₹50 crore.

Detail	Information
Scheme Name	Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana
Launched By	Maharashtra government
Beneficiaries	Senior journalists of Maharashtra
Benefit Amount	₹20,000 per month
Payment Mode	Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
Official Website	dgipr.maharashtra.gov.in

Eligibility Criteria for Senior Journalists Pension Scheme in Maharashtra

To get the pension benefit, a journalist needs to meet the conditions set by the state government. The main conditions are given below.

• Working journalists, newspaper editors, photographers, other news broadcast media persons and freelancers are eligible to get the pension benefit.
• Eligible media persons must have crossed the age of 60 years.
• They must have completed 30 years in the media reporting profession.
• Senior journalists must be accredited for at least 10 years.
• Journalism must be the only source of income for the applicant.
• Except the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), the applicant should not be getting pension from any other source.
• The applicant should not be an income tax payee.
• The pension is given to the beneficiary only during their lifetime and not to their kin after death.

The government has been looking at easing some of these conditions. There is a proposal to bring the experience condition down from 30 years to 25 years and the age condition from 60 years to 58 years, based on suggestions from journalist organizations.

How to Get Pension in Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana

To get the pension benefit, eligible journalists have to submit the required documents to the district information office. The submitted documents are then checked by the committee of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations. The committee decides on granting pension to non accredited journalists who follow the eligibility conditions.

List of Beneficiaries of Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana

Here is the direct link to check the name in the Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana list of beneficiaries - https://dgipr.maharashtra.gov.in/sanman

The page to check the Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana list of beneficiaries will appear as shown below.

Application Form and Documents

The official application form for the scheme is available on the DGIPR website. Eligible journalists can download the revised application form PDF and submit it with the required documents to the district information office. The application form can be downloaded from the DGIPR sanman application page.

FAQ's

What pension is given under this scheme?

Eligible senior journalists get ₹20,000 per month under the Acharya Balshastri Jambhekar Sanman Yojana. The amount is paid directly to the bank account through DBT.

Who can apply for this scheme?

Senior journalists of Maharashtra who have crossed 60 years of age, have at least 10 years of accreditation and 30 years of experience in the field can apply, subject to the other eligibility conditions.

Where can the beneficiary list be checked?

The beneficiary list is available on the official DGIPR website at dgipr.maharashtra.gov.in/sanman.