THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Coming down heavily on the state government for delaying salaries and pensions, Congress state chief K Sudhakaran said that while the chief minister and other ministers receive their pay on the first of every month, teachers, government servants and pensioners are being pushed to seeking alms to make ends meet.
The financial mess the state finds itself is the result of the LDF government’s unrestrained extravagance, he alleged, highlighting that pensions and salaries have been in arrears for six months.
“Nearly 50 lakh people have been affected by the non-payment of salaries and pensions and the sole culprit is the Left government. Timely payment of salaries and pensions are important for a vibrant economy. Their denial impacts every sector. Moreover this ensures that current and past employees struggle to access even basic needs, including medicines and treatment,” Sudhakaran added. Taking a sarcastic jibe at the state government, All India Congress Committee general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said this is the first time that government salaries and pensions have been delayed and credit should go to all those running the show.
“Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his government can be eternally proud that they were instrumental in denying their employees salaries and pensions. This is the result of wrong financial policies and poor management by a thoroughly failed government,” Venugopal said.
Secretariat council protest from today
The Secretariat Action Council will hold an indefinite protest from 11am on Monday against the denial of salaries and pensions. Finance Minister K N Balagopal should focus on paying dues rather than hosting lunch for staff who prepared budget, council convenor M S Ershad said.