K N Balagopal Slams Congress for Politicising Government Schemes; Attacks UDF Over Stalling Sthree Suraksha Scheme Payments

Thiruvananthapuram: Former Finance Minister and CPI(M) Central Committee member K N Balagopal has demanded that Congress clarify whether it is party policy to convert government programs into political events, after Congress leaders and UDF candidates who lost the election were found to have inaugurated constituency-level launches of 'Priyadarshini' scheme — individuals holding no elected or official position at either the local self-government or state level.

Balagopal said this pattern has been consistent from the very naming of the scheme onwards, and described it as deeply improper. He called on Congress to publicly state whether the partisan appropriation of government welfare programs is an official policy of the party.

Turning to the UDF's flagship KSRTC free travel scheme for women, Balagopal noted in a Facebook post that the promise rolled out today covers only a section of ordinary buses — a far cry from the sweeping election pledge that women would travel free on all KSRTC buses, including to pilgrimage and tourist destinations. He called it yet another addition to the UDF's growing list of broken promises since coming to power, adding that reports suggest several ordinary buses have been quietly reclassified as city fast services ahead of the scheme's launch.

Balagopal also trained his fire on the continued withholding of the Chief Minister's Sthree Suraksha financial assistance — a scheme introduced by the LDF government in its final budget with an allocation of ₹3,720 crore, currently benefiting approximately 20 lakh women between the ages of 35 and 60 with a monthly payment of ₹1,000. Annual disbursement for existing beneficiaries alone requires around ₹2,500 crore — more than five times the annual outlay of the KSRTC free travel scheme. Payments have not been made for the past two months, he said, calling the UDF government's approach to obstructing the largest women's welfare scheme in Keralam's history deeply condemnable, and demanding immediate disbursement.