No cut in welfare pension, says Kerala Finance Minister

K N Balagopal also added that the state government is considering increasing welfare pension.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Monday said there is no reduction in the welfare fund pension and the state government is considering increasing it.

He was responding to an adjournment motion moved by the opposition in the Assembly, seeking a discussion on the delay in disbursing pensions and other benefits to workers registered with the Kerala Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and other welfare boards in the state, suspending other legislative business.

Balagopal stated that the government has disbursed Rs 36,212 crore to various welfare boards over the past four years, and this amount is expected to reach Rs 55,000 crore within five years. He compared this with the previous Congress-led UDF government, which, according to him, had allocated only Rs 900 crore during its tenure.

Speaking on behalf of Labour Minister V Sivankutty, Balagopal assured the House that only three months' worth of pension payments are pending and that these will be cleared within the year.

"The collection of arrears was a challenge, but with the implementation of new software, the process has been expedited, resulting in a significant increase in revenue."

Balagopal further alleged that welfare pensions were delayed for 18 months during the previous UDF regime. He also said Rs 400 crore has yet to be received from the union government. Despite financial constraints imposed by the Centre, the state government is effectively managing welfare boards, he claimed, asserting that there was no need for a debate on the issue.

Following the minister's reply, the Congress-led UDF opposition staged a walkout. In his walkout speech, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan alleged that many of the 16 welfare fund boards under the Labour Department, along with 15 others under various departments, are in crisis, with seven of them on the verge of closure.

"A total of Rs 2,000 crore is pending, affecting 35 to 40 lakh workers in the state," he said.

Satheesan also claimed that Rs 1,392 crore is due as pension arrears in the Kerala Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, with pension disbursement delayed for 14 months.

Additionally, other benefits, including marriage assistance, medical aid, maternity benefits, and education assistance, are also pending, he added.

Satheesan further alleged that the situation is similar in other welfare fund boards, including the Kerala Karshaka Thozhilali Welfare Board, Tailoring Workers Welfare Board, Cashew Workers Welfare Board, Handloom Workers Welfare Board, and several others.

Expressing strong protest against the Finance Minister's "lackadaisical" response, Satheesan accused him of "ignoring" the plight of 40 lakh workers who have paid their contributions to these welfare funds. He questioned the government’s priorities in handling the issue. Earlier, moving the adjournment motion, Congress legislator M Vincent alleged that unorganised workers are struggling due to delays in pension and other benefits. He also claimed that Anganwadi workers have not received their pensions for the past five months.