THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The state government is committed to the welfare and care of senior citizens and strict action will be taken in cases involving cruelty to them, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was speaking at Mukhamukham, the CM’s interaction programme, with the elderly in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
“The senior citizen population in Kerala is higher than several other states. There are many homes where only senior citizens are residing. Abandoning aged parents and torturing them physically or mentally cannot be acceptable in a progressive society like ours. The government will not have any leniency towards the offenders,” he said.
Pinarayi said the governments under his leadership spent Rs 57,500 crore on social security pensions. There are 55 lakh beneficiaries in five categories. The Centre has defaulted its share of Rs 232 crore for pension payments to the elderly, physically challenged and widows. The state government does not view service and welfare pensions as a liability but as a tool to ensure social security. The government is of the view that service pensioners should be given healthcare even after retirement. “Hence, pensioners were given membership in the Medisep insurance scheme,” he said.
He hailed service pensioners for extending support to the government in a time of crisis. Several pensioners made donations to the CMDRF, supported the community kitchens, and provided learning materials to students during the pandemic.