Kerala govt's release of dearness allowance seen as bid to woo employees, pensioners before by-polls

Thiruvananthapuram: A decision of the Kerala government on Wednesday to allow one installment dearness allowance and dearness relief to state government employees and service pensioners is widely being considered as a step to woo voters as the by-polls are approaching.

Kerala finance minister K N Balagopal on Wednesday announced that one installment of dearness allowance and dearness relief would be allowed to state government employees and pensioners from next month's salary. Already one installment was allowed in April and the government plans to allow two installments every year, he said.

He also said that the annual expenditure of the government would increase by Rs. 2,000 crore by allowing one installment. Despite the financial crunches, the Kerala government was ensuring better pay revisions, he said.

Forums of government employees point out that still six installments of dearness allowance were pending. The one announced today was due in 2021 July. But the government is yet to clarify whether it will have retrospective effect.

Kerala Secretariat Association said in a statement that the present DA allocation was a bid to pacify the government employees who were upset over the pending DA dues as by-polls are approaching.

Kerala at present has over five lakh government employees and almost the same number of pensioners.

The other day the state government also released the social welfare pension of Rs. 1,600 each to over 60 lakh beneficiaries for one month, while four months' pension was still due. The government already announced that the dues would be settled only in a phased manner over the next two years.

Apart from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, by-polls to Palakkad and Chelakkara assembly seats will be held on November 13, of which Chelakkara in ruling CPM's sitting seat. Hence the CPM is making all out efforts to retain the seat.