Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is drowning in a deep debt trap, with reports showing that the outstanding payments owed to 58 lakh social welfare pensioners in the state are nearing Rs 4,600 crores. The state government has to settle the arrears accumulated over the past six months for welfare pension beneficiaries. It has been noted that the government had only disbursed the pension dues for August just two months before.
The government has to spend Rs 775 crore to provide one month’s pension to 58 lakh welfare pensioners. But since the state government does not have this much money, the government is blaming the central government. Only 45.11 lakh people can get welfare pension out of the money in the state government’s treasury. Finance Minister KN Balagopal had stated in his budget speech that Rs 9,000 crore is required for one year’s pension disbursement. The only way forward for the state government is to raise the pension age. According to the Salary Reforms Commission, Rs 4,000 crore can be saved a year if the age of welfare pensioners is raised from 56 to 57 years.
Meanwhile, the state government has spent more than Rs 1.2 crore to hold the Navakerala Sadas in Malappuram. Out of this, the Right to Information Commission has released only the figures of 6 constituencies in Malappuram. The Commission explained that other figures are not available.
The state government is coming forward with the lie that it is not getting the tax share from the central government all the while burdening the people of state by allocating excessive funds towards unnecessary programs and travel expenses.
