THIRUVANTHAPURAM : The state government will fulfil the LDF’s election manifesto promise of raising social security pension to Rs 2,500, from the present Rs 1,600, if the Union government reinstates the slashed Central allocation of Rs 57,400 crore to the state, Finance Minister K N Balagopal told the assembly on Monday.
The minister was replying to a notice for adjournment motion by the Opposition, to discuss the ‘plight’ of 48 lakh beneficiaries of social security pension in the state who were not receiving the assistance for the past five months.
Balagopal said the second Pinarayi Vijayan government has disbursed Rs 23,958 crore as social security pension over the past two and a half years. “Going by the present pension rate of Rs 1,600, we will be able to disburse Rs 48,000 crore by five years. But it is our vision to increase the amount further and we will do so,” he said.
Balagopal said the pension disbursal was affected when the Centre treated the liability of the company floated for the purpose as state government debt and imposed restrictions on borrowing. He urged the Opposition to join hands with the government for the upcoming protest in New Delhi against the Centre’s fiscal policies.
The finance minister turned down the Opposition’s charge that denial of social security pension was the reason why a 77-year-old differently-abled man in Kozhikode committed suicide last week. Balalgopal said the man drew his own pension and that of his daughter last on December 27. Besides, he had earnings from the rural employment guarantee scheme and was also entitled to free ration, the minister said.
Earlier, giving notice for adjournment motion, P C Vishnunadh of the Congress reminded the government that providing social security pension was not its benevolence but a constitutional obligation. He also disputed Balagopal’s claims that social security pension was pending for 18 months during the previous Oommen Chandy government’s tenure and challenged the minister to table the related accounts in the assembly.
Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said the government that claims credit for raising the welfare pension to Rs 1,600 should also take into account that the price of essentials has increased by 200 to 300%.
Opposition MLAs trooped to the well of the House holding placards against the non-payment of welfare pension when their request for adjournment motion was turned down. Later, they boycotted the assembly proceedings in protest.
Kozhikode suicide not due to pension delay: Minister
Finance Minister K N Balagopal said that the Opposition has misunderstood the death of Joseph, a differenly abled man who died by suicide allegedly due to the delay in receiving his pension amount in Kozhikode. “Joseph received pension in December as well. Besides, he received assistance of I6,500 during Onam and I28,000 as wages from the MGNREGS. His family was included in the list of families living in extreme poverty identified for welfare measures,” the minister said.