Thiruvananthapuram, 22 June (H.S.): Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Monday informed the State Legislative Assembly that the government has not yet taken a decision on whether to continue the Women’s Security Pension scheme, clarifying that it is not part of the State’s social welfare pension programme.
Addressing the House, the Chief Minister said the scheme had been introduced by the previous government shortly before the Assembly elections and that the present government was still examining its future. However, he assured members that social welfare pensions would continue without interruption.
Mr. Satheesan announced that the government order for the distribution of social welfare pensions would be issued on Tuesday, with pension payments set to begin from June 24. He also said the government had initiated procedures to fulfil its key Indira Guarantee promise of increasing the social welfare pension amount to ₹3,000 per month.
As part of the process, the beneficiary list will undergo a detailed verification to identify any ineligible recipients and ensure that deserving beneficiaries are not excluded. The Chief Minister said officials had cited instances where complaints were received from beneficiaries residing abroad regarding non-receipt of pensions, prompting the need for a comprehensive review.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan intervened during the discussion, questioning whether a person should be denied pension benefits merely because their son was living overseas. In response, the Chief Minister said the government’s objective was only to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries received the assistance they deserved and that no deserving person was left out.
The Chief Minister also reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the UDF’s flagship election promise, the Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme. He said detailed consultations were underway among the concerned departments and that the scheme was being designed to provide health insurance coverage of up to ₹25 lakh per family annually.
Mr. Satheesan further defended the government’s implementation of the Priyadarshini free bus travel scheme for women, stating that it had been rolled out within a month of assuming office. He rejected allegations circulated on social media, saying no ordinary KSRTC buses had been converted into fast passenger services to restrict access to the scheme and accused critics of spreading misinformation about the initiative.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
