The Kerala government has yet to take a final decision on the future of the Women Security Pension scheme introduced by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) administration, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan informed the Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a query raised by MLA O.S. Ambika, the Chief Minister said the scheme is currently under review and that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government has not yet decided whether it will continue in its present form.
Satheesan clarified that the Women Security Pension does not fall under the state's regular social security pension programmes. He also pointed out that the initiative was launched by the previous government in February, shortly before the Assembly elections.
“The Women Security Pension is not a social security pension. It was introduced by the previous government in February, just before the Assembly elections. No decision has been taken by this government regarding the scheme so far. A decision will be taken and informed later,” the Chief Minister told the House.
The scheme was designed to provide financial assistance to women from economically vulnerable backgrounds, including transgender women, who were not covered under any existing welfare pension programmes.
Under the scheme, women aged between 35 and 60 years belonging to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) categories were eligible to receive a monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000, provided they were not beneficiaries of any other welfare pension scheme.
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Concerns over the programme were raised after reports indicated that beneficiaries had not received payments for the last two months, prompting legislators to seek clarification on the status and future of the initiative.
The government's response suggests that the scheme is undergoing a policy-level evaluation, and a final decision regarding its continuation, modification or discontinuation will be announced after the review process is completed.
The matter is expected to remain politically significant in Kerala, where welfare initiatives and social security measures frequently become key points of contention between the ruling UDF and the opposition LDF.
With thousands of beneficiaries awaiting clarity, the government's eventual decision on the Women Security Pension scheme is likely to attract considerable public and political attention in the coming weeks.
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