Actor and former MP Suresh Gopi on Friday visited Mariyakutty (87) and Annamma Ouseph (80), the two elderly women who protested against the delay in the distribution of welfare pension.
The actor reached Ms. Mariyakkutty‘s house at 200 Acre near Adimali, interacted with the women and offered them financial assistance. Mr. Gopi promised to give ₹1,600 each to Ms. Mariyakutty and Ms. Ouseph from his MP’s pension in the upcoming months.
Mr. Gopi said that the State government imposed an additional charge of ₹2 for petrol in the name of the pension distribution. But now people are aware of the actual reality of the fuel surcharge. The people of the State should stop paying additional fuel charges,” said the actor.
The two elderly women had grabbed headlines after they staged a protest by holding earthen pots in Adimali town on November 8 against the delay in pension distribution.
Later, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] mouthpiece, Deshabhimani, had published a report which said that she owned one and a half acres of land and two houses and that her daughter worked in a foreign country. Ms. Mariyakutty had then approached the Mannamkandam village officer to disprove the claim. The village officer certified that Mariyakutty owned no land under the Mannamkandam village office, after which Deshabhimani apologised for printing fake news about Mariyakutty.
Ms. Mariyakutty on Friday said that she would approach the Adimali court against CPI(M) mouthpiece for the spread of misinformation regarding her financial status and also the High Court over the timely distribution of welfare pensions.
On Thursday, actor-turned-politician Krishna Kumar had also called up the elderly women over the phone and promised them financial assistance.
