Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday said that the government has not yet taken a decision on continuing the Women Security Pension scheme introduced by the previous LDF government.

Replying to a question by MLA O S Ambika in the Assembly on whether the Congress-led UDF government would continue the scheme, which has remained unpaid for the past two months, Satheesan said the Women Security Pension was not part of the state's social security pension programme.

"The Women Security Pension is not a social security pension. It was introduced by the previous government in February, just before the Assembly elections. No decision has been taken by this government regarding the scheme so far. A decision will be taken and informed later," he said.

The Women's Security Scheme was launched by the previous LDF government to provide financial assistance to women from poor families, including transgender women, who were not covered under any existing social welfare programme.

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Under the scheme, women aged between 35 and 60 years belonging to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) categories and not receiving any other welfare pension were entitled to a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000.