Thiruvananthapuram: CPM central committee member T M Thomas Isaac on Saturday challenged the state govt to produce the Union govt order that it claimed had forced it to end doorstep delivery of social security pensions to around 23 lakh beneficiaries.Addressing a news conference at AKG Centre, Isaac accused govt of misleading people by claiming that pensions had to be distributed only through banks and that Centre would otherwise stop releasing its share.He asked govt to specify which central order stipulated that assistance would be withheld if Kerala’s pension component was delivered to beneficiaries’ homes. “The existing arrangement should not be dismantled without consulting beneficiaries,” he said.Isaac said more than 51 lakh people receive social security and old-age pensions from the state, while over nine lakhs receive assistance through welfare fund boards. Of the total beneficiaries, only around eight lakhs receive central assistance ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 500 each.“Kerala spends around Rs 941 crore every month on pensions, while Centre contributes about Rs 24 crore,” he said. Until Dec 2022, the state paid the central share in advance and received reimbursement later, often after considerable delay.Isaac said Centre directed in Jan 2023 that its contribution be transferred through direct benefit transfer. Kerala then arranged bank transfers for the eight lakh eligible beneficiaries, while the others continued receiving pensions through commercial banks or doorstep delivery by cooperative banks.“Around 23 lakh beneficiaries had opted for doorstep delivery,” he said.Isaac alleged that govt is preparing the ground to disrupt regular pension distribution, as had happened during the previous UDF govt’s tenure.He also rejected irregularities in cooperative societies as grounds for ending the service. Problems should be resolved through discussions, not used to justify a decision inconveniencing beneficiaries. Exempting bedridden recipients would not address concerns of others still requiring doorstep delivery.
