Kerala’s 2026-27 Budget earmarks Rs 14,500 crore for social security pensions and announces pay hikes for frontline welfare workers. (File Photo)Social security push ahead of polls: Eyeing the upcoming Assembly elections, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Thursday presented a people-centric Budget for 2026-27, announcing a Rs 14,500 crore allocation for social security pensions. Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan said the document showed that the government was promising to do what it had failed to achieve over the last decade. He said the state budget is presented under Article 202 of the Constitution and is an annual financial statement, not a political document. He also announced the 12th Pay Revision Commission in the state budget, continuing the long-standing policy of reviewing government employees' salaries every five years.