Kerala CM Satheesan Accuses Previous LDF Govt of Delaying Pay Commission, Leaving ₹36,000 Cr DA Burden

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday accused the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of delaying the constitution of a pay commission and leaving the new administration with around ₹36,000 crore in pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) liabilities.

Responding to questions raised in the Assembly by former Finance Minister K N Balagopal and other Left MLAs, Satheesan claimed that the previous LDF government was the only administration in the past 50 years that had failed to constitute a pay commission in time for the pay revision process.

He said that every government since 1977 had constituted a pay commission, obtained its recommendations and implemented salary revisions based on its report.

However, the LDF government, which was in power from 2021 to 2026, broke with that practice, Satheesan alleged. According to the Chief Minister, the previous administration delayed the constitution of the pay commission by two years and issued the order for the 12th Pay Commission only in February, shortly before the Assembly elections.

“ So, we did not delay the pay commission, ” Satheesan said, defending his government's handling of the process.

The exchange followed questions from Left legislators about the status of the pay revision process initiated by the previous government and whether the revision would be implemented in the current financial year.

Satheesan also accused the outgoing administration of passing on a substantial financial burden to its successor through pending DA and DR payments, putting the outstanding liability at around ₹36,000 crore.

He said the current government was clearing the arrears despite facing financial constraints.

The dispute puts the spotlight on two issues affecting Kerala's government employees and pensioners: the timeline for the next pay revision and the payment of outstanding inflation-linked benefits. While the government has said it is clearing the arrears, the implementation schedule for the pay revision remains a key concern for employees awaiting revised salaries.