Taxpayers in Kerala are sustaining Left's cadre: BJP

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Amid the ongoing row between the Governor and the state government over the pension for the personal staff members of the ministers, the BJP said that taxpayers in Kerala are sustaining Left's cadre.

Sharing video of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, BJP national in-charge of information and technology department Amit Malviya said taxpayers are sustaining the Left cadre, and claimed that the Kerala government seeks to widen base so that more taxpayer funded cadre can be churned out.

"Tax payers in Kerala are sustaining Left's cadre. Governor Arif Mohammad Khan points out the flawed policy, which makes a political worker's job pensionable after serving for just 2 years! Kerala government seeks to widen base so that more tax payer funded cadres can be churned out," Malviya said.

In Kerala, a minister is entitled to appoint 30 people as his staff members but the state restricted it to 27 members. Interestingly, the minimum pension for a personal staff member is Rs 3,550 after the 11th pay commission in the state.

Governor Khan, who is in an open fight with the state government and opposition, is adamant that the government give a report to him regarding pension to the staff members.

Khan has categorically stated that a staff member is posted for 2 years and after that period he resigns and another person is posted who can serve for the rest of the term of the minister, which leads to pension for both of them.

Currently in Kerala, if a personal staff member completes two years in service, he is entitled to draw a pension for life, and after his passing away his family is also eligible for the same.

The Kerala Assembly had passed a Bill on this in 1994 and ever since the state coffers have been paying pensions to the former staff members of the ministers.