Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran has accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Ministers of drawing their salaries on time, even as the salary disbursal of government employees and pensioners have been delayed due to the government’s incompetence and financial mismanagement. Social security pensions had also not been disbursed for the past six months, he said in a statement here on Sunday.
He said that the delays affected more than 50 lakh people, including the employees, pensioners and their dependents. The delay in payment of salaries and pensions would curtail spending, which would in turn cause a crisis in the markets. It would also add to the misery of the common people at a time when a severe price rise situation existed in the State. The government had also failed to pay the DA and salary revision arrears to the employees.
Mr. Sudhakaran accused the government of turning a blind eye to the sufferings of the common people, while spending crores of rupees for organising events which were meant as public relations exercises for the government.
‘Lost right to govern’
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, MLA, said in Alappuzha on Sunday that the State was going through a severe financial crisis and both the Chief Minister and Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal had proved that they did not deserve to remain in the posts. Mr. Chennithala blamed the extravagance and lavishness of the ruling Left Democratic Front government for pushing the State into a huge financial crisis. “Development projects have come to a standstill. Disbursal of social security pensions has been derailed. The government has delayed the disbursal of salaries to government employees citing a technicality. The treasury is on the verge of complete closure. Both the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister cannot run away from the responsibility. Despite pushing the State into financial anarchy, the Chief Minister is remaining silent. The government has lost the right to govern,” Mr. Chennithala said, adding that the government should immediately disburse salaries and pensions.
