Loka Kerala Sabha disbanded as it failed to meet objectives: CM

Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Thursday said that the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) was disbanded as it was not serving the purpose for which it was created, while the opposition LDF contended that it was a "cruelty" towards the expatriate community of the state. Satheesan said that the UDF had always opposed the LKS and since its recommendations were not being implemented, it was decided to disband it and replace it with a stronger and effective mechanism for expatriates to raise their grievances.
He was responding to an adjournment notice moved in the state Assembly by the LDF opposition on the issues of LKS disbanding, hike in premiums of the insurance schemes for expatriates and their families and the delay in disbursal of pensions to them from the Pravasi Welfare Board.
Moving the notice, CPI MLA K K Valsaraj also raised the issue of exorbitant air fares charged by airlines when expatriates return to Keralam from the Gulf region and the loss of membership in the welfare board when some of them are unable to pay their contributions for three-four months, especially in view of loss of jobs due to the conflicts going on in West Asia.
Satheesan said that contributions to the pravasi welfare board fund were short of Rs700 crore and, as a result, the government had to make up the shortfall in money to pay the pensions. He said that Rs163 crore was paid by the board as benefits in 2026-27 and Rs102 crore was disbursed as pensions.A shortfall of Rs32 crore towards pension for three months was paid by the government and pension arrears of three more months remain to be paid, the CM added.He said that while the board has to shell out Rs35 crore every month towards pensions, it was getting only around ₹16 crore as contributions. He urged the expatriate community and organisations representing them to contribute to the welfare board fund, saying that doing so would easily resolve the pension disbursal delays.
Satheesan also pointed out that in 2020-21, there were only around 17,000 members in the board, but now the number has increased to over a lakh while there is no corresponding rise in its income due to a decline in contributions. On the issue of hike in the insurance premiums, the CM said that when the scheme was formulated, it had a "structural mistake" it covered all existing illnesses, which is usually not done. As a result, a huge number of claims had to be paid, he said.
Aggrieved over the denial of permission, the opposition staged a walkout with its leader, Pinarayi Vijayan, contending that disbanding of the LKS was a "cruelty" towards the expatriate community. He also demanded that the hike in insurance premiums be withdrawn. Vijayan, in his walkout speech, also accused the UDF government of having an unfavourable mindset towards the expat community as it cut short the budget allocation for NORKA to Rs112 crore from the Rs154 crore set aside for it by the LDF in its budget for 2026-27.