Thiruvananthapuram: In a move that dilutes a key pre-election promise, the Finance Department has sought to scale down the Kerala Farmers’ Welfare Fund pension scheme, which had promised a monthly pension of up to ₹5,000 for farmers.

In a note sent to the Agriculture Department late last month, the Finance Department observed that granting a ₹5,000 pension to farmers with just five years of contribution is “not desirable.” The intervention comes at a crucial juncture, as the scheme, introduced ahead of the previous Assembly elections, faces renewed scrutiny on the eve of another electoral cycle.

According to sources, the Finance Department has suggested that a pension on par with the social welfare pension, amounting to ₹2,000, would be adequate instead of the proposed ₹5,000. Although the Welfare Fund Board has written to the government seeking reconsideration of the decision, no response has been received to date.

The scheme, launched in 2021, was scheduled to begin disbursing pensions from December this year. To qualify for the maximum pension, farmers have been contributing up to ₹1,000 per month. The initiative was championed by the CPI-led Agriculture Department, which publicised it widely and exerted considerable pressure on the government to implement it.

Under the scheme, the maximum pension was to be provided to farmers who had completed 5 years of contributions and had attained the age of 60.

Finance Dept flags pension cap
The Finance Department suggested changes to the Agriculture Department’s proposal in a note issued on February 25. In its observations under ‘Chapter 6’, it stated that fixing the pension at a maximum of ₹5,000 is “not desirable” and suggested that the farmers’ pension be aligned with the government’s social welfare pension on a proportionate basis.

While the note refers to a proportionate amount, there is no clarity, even within the Welfare Fund Board, on what the revised figure would be.

File not placed before Cabinet
Meanwhile, the revised file could not be placed before the Cabinet before the announcement of elections.

The scheme, which was envisaged to benefit around 20 lakh farmers, has so far seen fewer than 20,000 registrations. The Finance Department has also sought to scale down the government’s contribution. While the original proposal fixed the State’s share at ₹250 per month towards the subscription, it has now cited financial constraints to limit the contribution to ₹150 per month.