Kochi, Mar 2: The state government is planning to keep welfare pensioners in good humour ahead of Lok Sabha elections by advancing pension for a month in April. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan- while addressing party workers and sympathisers at Marine Drive where a reception was accorded to Kerala Samrakshana Yatra - said this would enable them to get two months of pension.
"Imagine how much money they would have in hand if a family has three welfare pension beneficiaries," he said, adding that this is for the first time the government is giving advance pension. Kerala government had recently hiked minimum welfare pension from Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,200.
Last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched Pradhan Mantri Kisan Nidhi scheme which transferred Rs 2,000 to farmers as first instalment.
Flaying the Modi-led NDA government for politicizing the cross-border issue, Kodiyeri said BJP - which used the army's achievements in Kargil war in 2004 Lok Sabha polls - is trying the same trick in 2019. "They are trying to project military gains as the personal gains of the Prime Minister and the BJP. This is evident from statements made by Yeddyurappa in Karnataka that the crisis situation would get them 22 LS seats," he said.
Stating that the LDF government has strived to bring a change in the state through anti-hartal legislation, he said the party has also decided to stay away from political violence. "CPM has decided not to initiate political violence. But can RSS and Congress give a similar assurance?" he asked.
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