Cong attacks Kerala govt over non-disbursal of salaries to govt staff

Kerala Congress chief, K Sudhakaran, on Sunday criticised the ruling Left government over the delay in disbursing the salary of government employees and said it was because of incompetence and mismanagement.

Sudhakaran alleged that the misuse of the state’s fund by the government had resulted in a serious financial crisis.

“Currently, the social welfare pension in the state is pending for six months. The government is unable to provide salaries to 12 lakh teachers and other government employees. The government is responsible for all this,” he said.

The Congress leader said the financial crisis was affecting at least 50 lakh people in the state, including govt servants, teachers, pensioners and their dependents. The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, on Saturday claimed that over a lakh govt employees did not receive salary for the last month, a first in Kerala, and alleged that the state has plunged into a serious financial crisis. However, the opposition’s claim was refuted by Finance Minister K N Balagopal who said that salaries of govt employees would not be stopped, and it was delayed only because of some technical issues.