Kerala government will streamline functioning of welfare fund boards, says Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal
The Hindu
Kerala government to enhance welfare fund board operations, increase pensions, and disburse pending instalments efficiently, Finance Minister Balagopal assures.
The Kerala government intends to streamline the functioning of welfare fund boards, making their operations more systematic, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal informed the Kerala Assembly on Monday (March 10).
Responding to Opposition UDF’s charges concerning the plight of the boards while addressing an adjournment motion, he said that the welfare fund board pensions would not be slashed, but increased.
Mr. Balagopal countered the UDF onslaught saying that the government intended to disburse three pending instalments of pensions in the coming fiscal.
The Opposition was “shedding crocodile tears” for the welfare fund board members, he said.
Six boards which disburse pensions from own fund and eight which provide pensions with the aid of the government through the Kerala Social Security Pension Ltd disburse it on time, he said.
The 2011-2015 UDF government spent ₹9,011 crore on the pensions. The 2016-2021 Pinarayi Vijayan spent ₹35,154 crore, and the current LDF government has thus far spent ₹36,212 crore. This is expected to touch ₹55,000 crore by the end of its five-year term, he said.
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