Pinarayi Slams Kerala Govt Ending Doorstep Pension Delivery

Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday strongly criticised the UDF government's decision to stop doorstep delivery of social security pensions through cooperative banks, alleging that it was the first step towards weakening the state's welfare pension scheme. 

In a statement, Vijayan said the move to make Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts mandatory for all beneficiaries except bedridden patients would dismantle a people-friendly system under which nearly half of the pensioners had been receiving



their pensions at their doorsteps over the last 10 years without having to visit banks.

He alleged that the government was attempting to end the distribution of pensions through cooperative banks and that the move would particularly affect the poor, the elderly, persons with disabilities and those outside the banking service network. 

The CPI(M) veteran described the order as a reflection of a "right-wing approach" that treats social security pensions as government charity rather than a right of beneficiaries.