CPI M Demands Apology from K C Venugopal Over ‘Pension Bribe’ Remark

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI M State Secretariat has strongly condemned Congress leader and AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal for his controversial remark equating Kerala’s social welfare pensions to a form of bribe. The party called the statement a direct insult to the ordinary people of Kerala, particularly the 62 lakh families who rely on these pensions for their daily livelihood. The CPI M demanded that Venugopal withdraw his comment and issue a public apology to the people of Kerala.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has allocated more than 70,000 crore over the past nine years solely for disbursing welfare pensions. Despite facing severe financial constraints due to central neglect and economic restrictions, the LDF government has consistently ensured that pensions reach the homes of the needy. The Secretariat also pointed out that when pension disbursal was delayed in certain months due to financial strain, the same Congress leaders had sharply criticised the government. However, the Congress party has never spoken a word against the Union Government's refusal to release Kerala’s rightful share of central funds or the imposition of borrowing restrictions through agencies like KIIFB.
The statement further noted that instead of extending support to Kerala during times of financial distress, Congress leaders chose to remain silent or even align with the Centre's stance that tightened the state's fiscal space.
Despite the challenges, the LDF government improved revenue generation and reorganised developmental priorities to ease the impact of the crisis. This enabled the administration to not only settle arrears but also ensure regular monthly pension distribution. The Secretariat reminded the public of former Chief Minister A K Antony’s infamous comment that people should “tighten their belts” due to financial hardship, contrasting it with the UDF era where the pension was merely 600 and left unpaid for up to 18 months.
The CPI M also drew comparisons between the two governments: during the UDF’s 2011–2016 term, only 9,311 crore rupees was spent on pensions for 34.43 lakh beneficiaries. In contrast, the current LDF government has spent 72,000 crore rupees for 62 lakh beneficiaries. Of this, over 40,000 crore rupees was spent just in the last four years. The history of social welfare pensions in Kerala, the statement emphasised, is deeply tied to Left governments, from the introduction of agricultural labourers’ pension by the E K Nayanar government in 1980 to major reforms in 1987 and the increase of monthly pension from 600 rupees in 2016 to 1,600 rupees today.
The CPI M claimed that it is this model of sustained welfare and visible development that unsettles Congress leaders and prompted such reckless statements from Venugopal. The palpable public response to these welfare measures is also expected to influence the upcoming Nilambur bypoll, the statement added.
Elections naturally bring victories and defeats, the Secretariat noted, but it is unacceptable for any political leader to dismiss crucial welfare benefits as mere political bribes. Such comments, it warned, test the patience of the people of Kerala. “The people will respond appropriately,” the CPI M said in its statement.