Kochi: The petition filed by Mariyakutty seeking her widow pension dues of the past five months is politically motivated, the Kerala government told the High Court on Friday. According to the government, the state was undergoing a financial crisis and was unable to pay Mariyakutty and other similarly situated persons.
The Government Pleader informed the court that the state has not yet received the central government share for the pension from April to August 2023. This added to the state government's financial plight, due to which the latter was able to disburse pension only till August 2023. The State told the court that out of the Rs 1,600 pension given to Mariyakutty every month, Rs 300 is central government's contribution.
Meanwhile, the court described the state government's standpoint as unfortunate. "How will ordinary people like Mariyakutty sustain themselves in such a state," asked the court adding that she was a victim of the government's tightfistedness.
Mariyakutty, a 78-year-old Idukki native who went on a 'begging strike' to protest against the government's apathy, had filed a petition claiming she is yet to receive five months' due of her widow pension. Hearing the case, Justice Devan Ramachandran on Thursday criticised the government as it had enough money to spend on all kinds of celebrations, but not to clear the dues of pensioners.
Mariyakutty had averred in her plea that she is a beneficiary under the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and that she had no land in her name, and was also unable to work due to her advanced age and related ailments. She stated that her only source of income was the monthly widow pension of Rs 1,600, which had not been disbursed to her for the past five months now, and which she depended upon for buying medicines, food, and other essentials.
Mariyakutty submitted that although she had filed representation before the state government for the disbursal of the pension arrears, no steps had been initiated by the latter in that regard. It is in such circumstances that she approached the High Court with her plea.
On its directions to the state government, the court also added it to take care of Mariyakutty's medical bills and food so that she can survive this Christmas.
Mariyakutty reacts
“By calling my protest and demand to clear the widow pension dues as a politically motivated one the government has insulted me,” said Mariyakutty.
“If the government could not disburse the pension, let Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan resign. I see people suffering because of not getting the pension,” Mariyakkutty told media persons at her house soon after the hearing of the case ended in the High Court on Friday afternoon.
She had been following the court proceedings on television and said though she was happy about the lenient stand of the court towards her she did not want the matter to be seen as an individual case. “I want all the beneficiaries to get their pension dues,” she added.
Reacting to the claims that after raising the issue of pension dues last month, she has been getting financial aid from the public and celebrities, Mariaykkuty said that if the government was so sure of her receiving aid, it should reveal how much money she has got yet.
“They gave me two months of my widow pension dues (Rs 3,200) which I have spent on food and medicine. It is true that when I seek a meal, the people in the locality give me food. Is this what they say as an aid?”
