The AIADMK’s former coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, and the AMMK’s general secretary, T.T. V. Dhinakaran, on Saturday criticised the DMK government for announcing the hike in social security pension (SSP) schemes only by ₹200 per month per beneficiary instead of ₹500 as promised in the Assembly election manifesto of the ruling party.
In a statement, Mr. Panneerselvam referred to the DMK’s electoral promise of increasing the monthly pension amount to ₹1,500 from ₹1,000. Considering the level of inflation and the increase in the rates of tax and charges in a range of fields, the government should have fixed the pension amount at ₹2,000. “But, it has enhanced the amount only to ₹1, 200, which is a rise of ₹200,” the former coordinator observed.
