Mariyakutty is now suing the Kerala government for pensions

The 78-year-old Idukki native Mariyakutty has now filed a complaint with the Kerala High Court against the non-disbursement of social security pension. Mariyakutty gained notoriety for his actions when he went to Adimali town to solicit alms.

Mariyakutty filed a plea at the High Court on Tuesday, requesting the release of her <1,600 monthly pension. There is a five-month backlog of pension payments since she hasn’t gotten any since July of this year. Judge Devan Ramachandran sought the opinions of the Adimali panchayat and the state government when the case came up for hearing.

The petition claims that Mariyakutty is a recipient of the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and does not own any property. She suffers from age-related illnesses that prevent her from working. The ~1,600 that the government gives her is her sole source of income. The non-disbursement of the pension prevented her from purchasing medications and other necessities.

The appeal claimed that despite having submitted a representation with the state government asking for the disbursement of the pension arrears, there had been no follow-up on it.

Mariyakutty informed TNIE that, after asking for charity in public alongside her companion Annamma Ouseph, the government was unable to resolve her problem, so she turned to the HC.

“Apart from disseminating misleading information via the media, none of the party employees came to my house to assess the situation or took action to address it,” Mariyakutty said. “The government must give pension to the elderly first, as that amount is a great relief for many when it spends huge amounts for the party and public events,” she said.