Kerala Assembly: Oppn members protest death of Kozhikode man, by holding placards

Several opposition members displayed placards to disrupt the House’s proceedings during the Kerala Legislative Assembly’s budget session on Monday. The protesters held placards complaining about the supposed sixty lakh people who are not receiving their pension benefits on time and the disabled man who committed suicide in Kozhikode, allegedly as a result of not receiving his social welfare pension dues.

On delay over disbursing social security pension to recipients, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan said, “… Social security pension of more than 50 lakh people of the state has been pending since the last five months. The deserving people are either physically disabled, old, or widows. But this is not the government’s priority… The government had nothing to say about this so we had to boycott the proceedings of the assembly… Many others are on the brim of committing suicide because this pension is the only source of their income…”

Welfare pension distribution was halted for a few months due to budgetary constraints. During a pre-budget press conference, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the primary obstacles to the central government’s efforts to establish a new Kerala were its policies. The chief minister addressed the press conference and stated that although the state has made good progress in terms of tax revenue and domestic production, the financial crisis resulting from the policies of the central government is tightening the state. He claimed that rather than speaking out against these unjust policies on behalf of the people, the opposition was attacking the government.

As per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, Kerala can borrow up to 3 per cent of its domestic revenue unconditionally and 0.5 per cent subject to the implementation of reforms in the power sector.