Widows' begging protest: CPM spreading blatant lies, says Adimaly panchayat member

Idukki: Jincy Mathew, chairperson of Adimaly Grama Panchayat Development Standing Committee and ward member of 200 Acre, rebutted charges of her being responsible for the delay in disbursal of welfare pension that forced widows to stage a begging protest and accused the CPM of spreading blatant lies in this regard.

Earlier, the Left party raised charges that the pension disbursal got hit after the panchayat member failed to carry out the mustering process on a timely basis. Two elderly women, Mariyakutty and Annamma Ouseph, staged a protest in Adimaly town on Wednesday against the non-disbursal of welfare pensions by holding earthen pans and seeking alms.

Jincy, however, pointed out that she completed the mustering process for disbursing the widow pension due to Mariyakutty on April 5 and that for extending widow and welfare pensions to Annamma Ouseph on April 18 itself. “The CPM is hiding this and deliberately conspiring to target me. I will take legal action against the smearing campaign and the cyberattack being indulged in by them,” Jincy said.

The CPM should stop insulting the elderly women who resorted to begging in protest following the non-receipt of welfare pension and should instead take measures to ensure speedy disbursal of the same, said panchayat member Babu P Kuriakose and Congress leaders C S Nassar, and Happy K Varghese.