Welfare pension distribution in Kerala: Thomas Isaac seeks to roll back DBT decision
Former State Finance Minister says that direct-to-home (DTH) distribution was chosen as an option as many of the pensioners had requested it
The former Finance Minister of Kerala, T.M. Thomas Isaac, called for the immediate reversal of the United Democratic Front government's decision to transition welfare pension distribution to direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode exclusively. In a press conference, Dr. Isaac stated that around 23 lakh pensioners had requested distribution via DTH, allowing their monthly pension to be delivered directly to their homes through cooperative sector institutions.
Initially, the LDF government had opted for DBT for 8 lakh beneficiaries receiving Central share in their payments, while the rest received their pensions either through bank accounts or home delivery based on their preference. The V.D. Satheesan government, according to Dr. Isaac, is disregarding the beneficiaries' choice without any consultation.
He argued that the State government's claim of losing Central financial assistance due to DBT implementation was unsubstantiated. Dr. Isaac urged the UDF government to make the Central government's order public at the earliest. He also questioned the government's exemption of bedridden patients from mandatory DBT, asking how the government could justify denying services to non-bedridden beneficiaries who wish to have their pension distributed at home.
Any issues with the distribution by cooperative sector institutions, if any, should be addressed through discussion, Dr. Isaac concluded.
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