Kerala CM Pledges Timely Distribution of Welfare Pension Arrears

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the planned disbursement of welfare pension arrears to 62 lakh beneficiaries in a time-bound manner. Despite the state's financial difficulties, the government remains committed to its development and welfare initiatives. The financial crunch is attributed to central policies, which have been criticized for being discriminatory.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced that the arrears of welfare pensions for 62 lakh beneficiaries would be distributed in a time-bound manner, with plans to further increase the pensions. This comes despite the state's ongoing financial difficulties, which Vijayan attributed to the policies of the central government.

Addressing the state Assembly, Vijayan said each beneficiary currently receives Rs 1,600 per month in social welfare pension, with five instalments overdue. Two instalments will be distributed in the 2024-25 financial year and the remaining in 2025-26. He emphasized that these arrears were not due to the Left government's policies, as they have consistently been distributing payments since March.

Vijayan detailed that the total arrears amount to Rs 4,250 crore, with Rs 1,700 crore to be disbursed in the current financial year. He criticized the Union government's financial policies, citing reduced borrowing limits and tax allocations as evidence of bias against Kerala. Opposition Leader V D Satheesan questioned the feasibility of these promises, criticizing the state government's fiscal management and internal coordination.