Kerala's Onam Gift: Two-Month Pension Disbursement

The CPI(M)-led government in Kerala announced a two-month pension disbursement for over 60 lakh beneficiaries as an Onam gift. Finance Minister K N Balagopal allocated Rs 1,700 crore for this initiative. The scheme aims to regain the Left's lost mass base after their Lok Sabha poll defeat.

The CPI(M)-led Left government in Kerala announced a significant Onam gift on Friday, declaring the disbursement of a two-month pension for over 60 lakh beneficiaries.

State Finance Minister K N Balagopal revealed that the government has allocated Rs 1,700 crore for this initiative.

'Around 62 lakh people will receive Rs 3,200 each for Onam. This is in addition to the one month's pension that is currently being given,' Balagopal stated in a press release.

The disbursement of the Social Security and Welfare Fund pension, starting next week, is perceived as the Left government's strategy to regain its mass base, lost during the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier, the CPI(M) and its allies blamed their defeat on the delayed settlement of dues and recommended a course correction. In the polls, the LDF won just one seat, while the Congress-led UDF secured 18 seats, and the BJP made its debut in the state's political landscape.

Balagopal confirmed that 26.62 lakh people would receive the pension amount directly in their bank accounts, and others through cooperative banks delivering it to their homes.

He added that one of the two additional months' pension sanctioned is a backlog payment.

The Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, had promised that the delayed backlog payment of social security pensions, due to financial constraints, would be addressed this year and next.

Despite significant financial challenges posed by Central government policies, the Left government prioritized pension disbursement, ensuring monthly payments since last March.

This month's pension is given ahead of time to coincide with Onam, affirming Kerala's commitment to the most comprehensive social security pension scheme in India, funded primarily by the state.

(With inputs from agencies.)