The state government will distribute social welfare pension for this month a day after the Nilambur bypoll. Finance Minister K N Balagopal issued a pressnote here on Monday which said the pension will be distributed from June 20. Nilambur bypoll is scheduled on June 19.

62 lakh beneficiaries will receive a monthly pension of ₹1600. The Minister said that during the last four years of the LDF government, it has spent ₹38,500 crore to disburse welfare pension.

In 2016-21, the government spent ₹35,154 to give welfare pension and it also included dues accrued during the period of the UDF government for a period of 18 months. The Minister said that in 9 years, the government spent ₹73,654 crore for welfare pension. He also drew a comparison to the amount that was given away as welfare pension during the UDF government; ₹9011 crore. Inspite of financial restraints being imposed by the centre, the state government has been keen on ensuring the welfare of the needy people in the state, Balagopal said.

Welfare pension has been a contentious topic during the campaign of the Nilambur bypoll. LDF has banked on disbursal of welfare pension to woo voters and has pitched the campaign around timely distribution and periodic hike of welfare pension. In response, Congress has mocked at the LDF for politicising the distribution of welfare pension. Congress leader K C Venugopal had referred to distribution of welfare pension as bribe to voters and CPM rebutted that it was an insult to the beneficiaries.

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