THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister KN Balagopal on Wednesday said that Rs 1600, which is the one-month payment of the four-month due of welfare pension, will be distributed soon. Rs 900 crore has been set aside for this. Pension will be allowed for all those who have done mustering.

Those who receive pension directly will receive the amount through cooperative societies, and those who do not will receive the amount through bank accounts. LDF governments have disbursed Rs 57,604 crore to welfare pension beneficiaries in seven-and-a-half years. The second Pinarayi government gave Rs 22,250 crore. The minister said that 64 lakh people are in the pension data base.